Washington schools chief issues new guidance on protecting immigrant students

As schools across Washington brace for a crackdown on immigration under President Donald Trump, the state’s top education official has issued new guidance on state and federal protections for immigrant students.

In a news release Thursday, the state’s Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction described the guidance as “a roadmap of requirements,” from student privacy and access to educational services, to immigration enforcement on school campuses.

“We are receiving a lot of questions and concerns from schools, families, legislators, community members, and other partners,” State Superintendent Chris Reykdal said in a statement. “As we monitor the actions of the new federal administration, I want to be clear: Washington state is and will remain a state that is unequivocally committed to supporting all of our students and their families.”

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The guidance comes days after Trump signed several executive orders related to immigration, largely aimed at expanding enforcement activity and accomplishing the “mass deportation” plan the president called for during his campaign.

The administration also rescinded a long-standing federal policy preventing immigration arrests from occurring at or near “sensitive” or “protected” locations like churches, health-care facilities, and schools.

“Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest,” a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said in a statement Tuesday. “The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense.”

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Reykdal’s central message to schools was clear Thursday: Keep students safe, and continue to follow the state constitution, which guarantees every child access to a basic education and prohibits public school districts from discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, or immigration status.

“In Washington state, we will do everything we can to protect our students, no matter their citizenship status,” he said. “Our public schools are a place where students from all different backgrounds come together to learn side-by-side. This is the rich diversity that America is known for, and we intend to uphold these values in the months and years ahead.”

Reykdal urged schools to keep following guidance from the state attorney general’s office that bars school officials from “initiating engagement with immigration authorities for the purpose of sharing student information.”

The guidance also lays out the steps districts should take if authorities do attempt immigration enforcement on or near school grounds and requires public schools to have established policies on how to respond when immigration authorities visit a school campus.

Seattle Public Schools, the state’s largest public school district, already has several policies in place, including a 2017 school board resolution that affirms the district’s legal and moral commitment to supporting immigrant students and encourages them to “promote their identity safely in the classroom.”

Ahead of OSPI’s new guidance, Superintendent Brent Jones said Wednesday the district is currently reviewing the policies to ensure “we continue to provide clear information for students, their families, and SPS staff.”

“Let’s be reminded that school districts educate school-age residents regardless of the immigration status of students and their families,” he said, adding the district will follow state laws directing schools to limit immigration enforcement to “the fullest extent possible.”

The nearby Highline School District has also had a similar policy limiting immigration enforcement on school campuses in place since 2021.

Still, the federal policy shifts this week have made the district community nervous.

“Families and staff and students are definitely feeling anxious and concern and worry,” said Tove Tupper, the district’s chief communications officer. “Our staff care deeply for our students and families. We want what’s best for them.”

But, Tupper stressed Thursday, these federal actions do not change Highline’s commitment to protecting immigrant students.

“Every child has the right to a free public education, regardless of citizenship or immigration status,” she said. “This is not only protected by law but is a core value at Highline that we fiercely uphold.”

Highline will continue to follow district policy and state laws, Tupper said, and just held a mandatory staff training on this issue last week.

District officials have also created an internal resource hub for staff that includes policy guidance, protocols and instructions for specific scenarios, and community resources they can share with students and families.

“We want our staff to feel empowered to be able to protect our students,” Tupper said.