Oakland schools to defend students here illegally

Resolution forbids immigration officers on campus without lawyers being called first

By Katy Murphy, STAFF WRITER

Article Last Updated: 01/10/2008 08:20:54 AM PST

OAKLAND — The Oakland school board on Wednesday night took a stand in support of its immigrant students, including those whose families are living in the country illegally.

The policy passed at the board meeting — the first of its kind in the Oakland school district — was written in response to an incident at Melrose Bridges Academy, an elementary school in East Oakland. On the morning of Dec. 18, immigration officers accompanied a pregnant mother, Maria Ramirez, into the school and detained her for questioning after her tearful 6-year-old daughter went to class.

Noel Gallo, the school board member who introduced the resolution, said he hoped the new policy would assure Oakland's immigrant population that the district was committed to educating all of its students.

He also said he hoped it would prevent such events from happening again.

"I'm trying to establish a good relationship with local law enforcement," Gallo said. "I'm also appealing to them to not conduct their business at a school site unless there's an imminent danger."

The policy forbids school staff to ask about a student's immigration status or to require families to provide a Social Security number during registration. It also directs schools to contact the district's legal counsel before allowing immigration officers to enter a school, on the grounds that such a visit would cause a disruption to the educational environment.