Grand Rapids — In response to community concerns about student safety, the Grand Rapids Public Schools Board of Education approved a statement of commitment to support immigrant families in an 8-1 vote at Monday’s meeting.
Superintendent Leadriane Roby said the statement was crafted following the Jan. 27 board meeting, revised for clarity and reviewed by the district’s immigration lawyer before being considered for board approval.
Declaring safety and well-being of school communities the “top priority,” the statement reads in part, “Our district does not ask about the immigration status of scholars or their families, as doing so is against federal law. … Grand Rapids Public Schools only permits U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other immigration-related enforcement agencies with access to personnel, scholars, property, or school buses where required by law.”
Trustee Sara Melton said the board’s purpose in releasing a public statement is to declare their intent to collaborate with the community, and that “a statement is not anything revolutionary, nor should it be scaring anyone.”
Several local superintendents have recently issued guidance to staff and communities concerning the possibility of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers visiting schools, which are no longer considered “sensitive locations” under revised federal law. GRPS sent a letter to families on Jan. 24 sharing visitor protocols and immigration resources.
Despite concerns about repetitive communication from the district, all board members supported the statement’s message and intent during its review on Monday, including secretary José Rodriguez, even though he voted against the statement’s approval.
Rodriguez said he thinks “doing the work” of supporting immigrant families and creating policies to protect students in school spaces is more important than issuing a statement, which is why he voted no.
“I try to use a resolution as a vehicle for the work,” he said. “I am very passionate about protecting our immigrant communities, our refugee families, but I don’t feel like we need a statement to complete that work.”
A Promise to Support, Educate and Empower
Monday’s statement by the board also outlines further steps the district plans to take, including “establishing an advisory committee to recommend updates to policies and resources for marginalized groups,” and sharing consistent updates and resources for families, staff and the community in their preferred languages “to educate and empower.”
“Each additional gesture we offer, by way of word or behavior, is a reaffirmation of our commitment to our scholars’ well-being, to their safety, to their inclusion,” said trustee Amber Fitzpatrick. “It really helps strengthen the message that we believe that everyone belongs here and that we stand with our most marginalized members.”
Following the meeting, Latino Community Coalition steering committee member Adnoris Torres said he was glad to hear the board discuss their intent behind a statement of care.
“(This statement) allows community members to truly see that there is care,” he said. “It’s not just general blanket statements, but there is care from the leaders they elected to be their voice.”
Torres added that community voices are amplified when there is continuous support and communication from the board and the district as a whole.
“It’s not about Latinx community members only; it’s about Black students; it’s about LGBTQIA community students; it’s about affirming all of the different identities within the school district,” he said. “When there is an attack on one or any, there is an attack on many and … the diversity of the student body has to be at the forefront of all of those policy decisions.”
Read more from Grand Rapids:
• Podcast: Schools hearing concerns from families over federal deportation plans
• Student group shines a light on Black culture
