LAKE ELSINORE, CA — Amid heightened concern that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents could raid schools, the Lake Elsinore Unified School District confirmed to Patch that it follows existing board policies prohibiting the release of student information for immigration enforcement purposes — unless a parent/guardian consents or as required to do so by a court order or judicial subpoena.
“Lake Elsinore Unified School District (LEUSD) is dedicated to our mission to Educate, Equip, and Empower – Every Student, Every Day by providing a safe and welcoming learning environment for all students,” said LEUSD Public Information Officer Melissa Valdez.
“We understand that recent national discussions on immigration policies have raised questions within our community,” Valdez continued. To ensure clarity and address these concerns, Valdez said the district sent a Jan. 31 letter to LEUSD families and the school community to reaffirm established policies regarding student rights, campus security, and visitor protocols.
The letter, which Patch obtained, provides an overview of board-approved policies that can be accessed at https://bit.ly/LEUSDBP.
The policies state, among other things, that district staff must document any verbal or written request for information related to a student’s or family’s immigration or citizenship status. Additionally, any request must be forwarded to the school superintendent, an affected student and their family.
“District staff shall receive parent/guardian consent before a student is interviewed or searched by any officer seeking to enforce civil immigration laws at the school, unless the officer presents a valid, effective warrant signed by a judge or a valid, effective court order,” according to the policy. “A student’s parent/guardian shall be immediately notified if a law enforcement officer requests or gains access to the student for immigration enforcement purposes, unless the judicial warrant or subpoena restricts disclosure to the parent/guardian.”
The policy also outlines steps that district staff must take if an immigration officer shows up on a LEUSD campus.
There have been no reported issues at LEUSD campuses.
As for local law enforcement conducting immigration raids at LEUSD campuses, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said in a Feb. 6 video posted to social media that it’s not happening.
Immigration enforcement is the federal government’s responsibility, and Bianco said any rumors that his deputies are conducting raids at local schools “are simply not true.”
The sheriff promised that his personnel would not target schools, businesses, or churches and reiterated that his deputies would not perform “any type of immigration enforcement.”
California’s Senate Bill 54, approved in 2017, bars local law enforcement agencies from using public money for immigration enforcement. It also prohibits police from transferring people to immigration authorities except in some instances involving certain violent felonies and/or misdemeanors.
Bianco criticized the law, and said in his video post that he would “continue to fight to reform an extremely dangerous sanctuary state law.”
Two days before Bianco’s message, California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued guidance to students, families, educators, and school officials on how to respond if an immigration officer comes to campus. The guidance also informs immigrant students and their families about their educational rights and legal protections.
Bonta said the guidance helps “ensure a safe and secure school environment for all.”
“All children have a constitutional right to access a public education, regardless of their immigration status,” the attorney general said. “Schools are meant to be a safe place for children to learn and grow. Unfortunately, the President’s recent orders have created fear and uncertainty in our immigrant communities.”
Litigation is amassing over U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to deport large numbers of people who are in the country without authorization. But on Thursday, Feb. 6, the administration sued the state of Illinois, Chicago, and Cook County, Ill., accusing them of obstructing the federal government’s enforcement of immigration laws.
The counties of San Francisco and Santa Clara in California, in addition to King County, Washington, and the cities of Portland, Oregon, and New Haven, Connecticut, took preemptive action on Friday, Feb. 7: They sued the Trump administration, alleging it has threatened and unlawfully targeted sanctuary jurisdictions, according to the lawsuit filed in the Northern District of California.
The plaintiffs say their lawsuit seeks to check the administration’s “abuse of power” and asks the court to declare Trump’s actions unlawful and prevent any enforcement.
