Immigrant and Refugee Children: A Guide for Educators and School Support Staff

This guide was created for educators, school support staff and service providers who teach, mentor and help open the doors of opportunity for immigrant students and families. Educators, school support staff and service providers are often the first individuals to whom students and families disclose their undocumented status. They also witness firsthand the profound impact of heightened immigration enforcement measures on students’ well-being, mental health, academic success and sense of security.

Schools should be safe havens, sanctuary places of learning that embrace all students and families, regardless of citizenship and national origin, and that includes unaccompanied and refugee children. The 1982 U.S. Supreme Court case Plyler v. Doe ruled that undocumented children have a constitutional right to receive a free public K-12 education, which provides the means to becoming a “self-reliant and self-sufficient participant in society,” the court wrote, and instills the “fundamental values necessary to the maintenance of a democratic political system.” However, today’s increased enforcement measures by the Department of Homeland Security threaten that right for thousands of undocumented youth and the 4.4 million U.S.-
born children who live in mixed-status households with at least one parent or family member who is undocumented.

Immigration enforcement actions, such as raids or apprehensions at home, schools or other places, take an emotional, psychological and physical toll on developing children, youth and entire communities. Such actions produce chronic fear, anxiety and stress that consume students and their families on a daily basis. Fear of immigration enforcement drives undocumented and mixed- status families further into the shadows and erodes the trust built between educators and the students and families they serve. Educators know that circumstances outside the classroom and school grounds have a huge impact on the educational success of students. They see the impact of these out-of-school factors in homework assignments, grades, interactions in class and extracurricular activities. It’s critically important that educators, school support staff and service providers know the tools and resources available to help prepare youth and families for an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid or other immigration enforcement action.

Now more than ever, educators across the continuum of public education must stand firm in their commitment to protecting students’ access to education and ensuring that every child, regardless of immigration status, has the opportunity to learn, thrive and build a brighter future.

Educators, school support staff and other service providers play a critical role in helping to end the criminalization, detention and deportation of students and families. Rather than being punished for their immigration status, students and their families should be recognized for their sacrifice, hard work, determination and contributions that strengthen our communities.

Please refer to the PDF version below for the complete resource.