On January 20th, 2025, Donald J. Trump was inaugurated as President of the United States, where he quickly signed many executive orders to increase immigration enforcement across the country in an attempt to boost public security. These orders are causing many to ask what this means for our school and community.
An executive order is a set of requirements imposed by the President of the United States on the executive branch of the government. These requirements are legally binding, but have restrictions imposed by the constitution.
When Trump was inaugurated on January 20th he quickly utilized these orders to impose many policy reforms, including a number regarding immigration.
One of these key orders is Executive Order 14159, titled “Protecting The American People Against Invasion.” This was an order that directed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to crack down on the deportation of undocumented Immigrants already in the U.S. using agencies like their subsidiary Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as well as local law enforcement. It also contained wording to cut federal funding to any “sanctuary” jurisdictions that protect undocumented immigrants.
This order is particularly important to schools as it also allows immigration authorities to enter “sensitive areas” meaning churches, schools, etc. Previously, ICE acted on a policy where they did not enter these “sensitive areas,” but this new order gives them permission to in an attempt to detain as many undocumented immigrants as possible.
So, could immigration authorities enter Summit K2, and what does this order mean for our community? Here’s what we know.
The policy change to allow ICE into schools has faced considerable backlash from lawmakers and immigration rights organizations. In California, two bills have already been proposed in the state legislature to deny access to ICE on school grounds without a warrant on a state-wide level.
However, these bills cannot fully stop the arrests of undocumented students, parents, or faculty. In the article “Can California Keep ICE Away From Schools? Lawmakers Want to Try as Crackdowns Loom” by Carolyn Jones from the San Fernando Sun, Jones writes, “Both bills would make it harder and more time-consuming for agents to enter schools or daycare centers. But they can only delay, not stop, arrests.”
As for Summit K2 itself, it seems that students are mostly safe from immigration authorities on campus.
In an email from Joanna Powell, the Associate General Counsel for Summit Public Schools, she shared that immigration authorities can still not enter Summit schools without a warrant. Powell shares, “Because our schools are not open to the general public, ICE agents can only enter if they are in possession of a judicial warrant.”
Powell’s email also emphasized Summit’s commitment to keeping all students safe, and that if ICE should come to any Summit campus, the admin will work with Summit’s legal team to halt their entry. Powell states, “Summit is committed to ensuring the safety of all sour students and their families,” followed by, “Our legal team will review the [possible warrant] . . . and will prohibit them from entering if legally permissible.”
Summit K2 Executive Director Megan Lee echoed these answers. When asked what would happen if ICE were to show up at Summit K2, Lee stated, “Absolutely nothing, I’ll turn them away. Schools are sanctuary in the state of California . . . I will tell teachers in chat to lock doors and not open them for any reason.”
Given these answers from Lee and Summit Head Office, it seems that students are mostly safe from ICE agents when at school for the time being.
As for the issue of the cut of funding from “sanctuary” jurisdictions, Lee also shared that it may be possible for Summit’s funding to be cut. She then shared that Summit is trying to secure more donors in order to make our schools secure if that were to happen.
Overall, should students and families be worried about immigration status? Maybe, but we can know that they will be kept as safe as possible when at Summit.
(Cover Photo Credit: Design – Ozzie de Guzman / Pictures – Homes.com & Kristi Noem via X)
