After the Trump administration reversed a policy that limited immigration enforcement in sensitive areas like schools, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools released a directive last month stating that immigration officers have a right to enter schools with a valid warrant.
The directive is the only official guidance sent to teachers and staff since the policy change. It says that public schools cannot deny education to undocumented students. The directive also tells school employees not to interfere if immigration officials present a search or arrest warrant.
Justin Parmenter, a teacher at South Academy of International Languages, says the lack of follow-up communication or training has left many educators and families uncertain.
“Our responsibility as educators is to provide a safe and nurturing environment for students and to consider the whole child’s needs, not just their academic needs," Parmenter said.
Parmenter and other teachers say CMS has not provided additional meetings or training to help them understand how to support undocumented students.
“Being in a position to facilitate our students and families, knowing what their rights are, could bring some piece of mind,” Parmenter said.
CMS is also telling teachers and staff not to give legal advice to students or parents. Some other urban areas, like Chicago, have started campaigns to hand out information about basic rights under the U.S. Constitution, known as “Know Your Rights.” Chicago Public Schools lists resources and rights for immigrants on its website.
The CMS restrictions have sparked frustration from teachers, parents and immigrant advocates.
“When we give them this information, it’s not like they’re under the impression that I am giving them legal advice or that I am acting as their attorney of law,” a CMS teacher who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the subject. "What am I supposed to do when my hands are tied and they’re asking for this information? I can’t give it to them even though it exists and even though it’s valid, credible information."
"There’s a lot of gray areas where we’re not getting some clarity and we’re not getting some really clear instructions on what to do to protect our students and families," the teacher said.
CMS’ policy on distributing non-school materials states nonprofit entities can provide materials, as long as they are clearly labeled stating they do not represent the views of CMS.
WFAE reached out to CMS for clarification. The district cited guidance from its Office of the General Counsel which states, “Staff and teachers are not to provide any advice regarding this sensitive issue.”
