The Milwaukee Public School Board voted unanimously last night on a resolution to make the district a “safe haven” for undocumented students and their families.
The resolution, authored by MPS Board Vice President Larry Miller and director Tatiana Joseph, prohibits MPS officials from asking students to provide documentation regarding their immigration status and from disclosing the status of students’ family members.
In essence, the MPS school board voted to make its district a sanctuary district – pledging to shield students from potential deportation and educate families about immigration issues.
School board members voted unanimously to make the district a “safe haven” for students. This comes one month after the superintendent made her stance clear that she supports students of all backgrounds.
Members of Voces de la Frontera and students from Milwaukee Public Schools rallied before the event and urged school board members to make MPS a “safe haven” for immigrants.
For Joseph, the district’s “safe haven” policy hits close to home.
“No children should have to live through this fear,” said Joseph, who came to the U.S. from Costa Rica with her family as a child and lived here for several years undocumented. “We are in the business of protecting children.”
“When I think about talks of ICE raids, I see how it not only affects the children of undocumented immigrants, but also their friends and the teachers they have in school,” said retired MPS teacher Joan Martinez.
The resolution formalizes the MPS District’s policy to not share any information about a student or family’s documentation status. It would also bar ICE agents from conducting raids on district properties unless specifically authorized by district administrators.
