The public wants a Sanctuary policy, School Board members debate it, along with the suppression of Action Alert emails calling for a Sanctuary policy

During the Grand Rapids Public School Board meeting last night, there were 31 people who spoke during public comment period to ask, encourage and demand that the GRPS adopt a sanctuary policy for the district. 

Those that spoke raised numerous topics and issues around the matter of the threat of ICE being on this community and the threat of their ability to enter or even be on the property of all GRPS facilities. 

Several people emphasized that the current GRPS policy, while being a good first step, will still allow ICE to enter GRPS buildings and if they have a warrant, the GRPS will allow ICE to interrogate students, which is most definitely a traumatic experience and it would be a form of violence. This same trauma would be experienced if students witness or find out that their parents were picked up by ICE after dropping off or coming to pick up their children who are students of GRPS. 

Other speakers used the following talking points from the Urban Core Collective (UCC)

Sanctuary districts actively prevent ICE and immigration services from acting on school grounds, parking lots, and surrounding areas. They empower districts to collaborate with community partners to provide critical resources, training, and support for those encountering ICE violence. Becoming a sanctuary district would bring a significant amount of security to thousands of GRPS students whose loved ones are without documentation.  

We acknowledge and commend GRPS for their proactive response to this threat. Superintendent Roby presented the district’s current policy, which recognizes schools as protected places and limits ICE enforcement on district property. She also shared the document all GRPS staff have received in the event that ICE does come to a school building. 

We believe that the current GRPS plan does offer students and families some protection. However, because of the increased threat of deportation, we ask GRPS to actualize the district’s commitment to truly being a “safe and welcoming space” for students. More steps are needed to keep students and their families safe. 

‍Advancing Safety and Equity
We believe GRPS must take the following actions to strengthen its commitment to sanctuary and prioritize student and family safety:

1. Create a Policy Advisory Committee: GRPS should establish a policy advisory committee composed of members from the affected community. This committee would be given the power and authority to update the current GRPS response plan. This committee should include representation from Movimiento Cosecha GR and GR Rapid Response to ICE.
2. End Collaboration with GRPD on ICE Matters: GRPS should immediately amend the current policy to remove any contact with the Grand Rapids Police Department (GRPD) regarding an ICE-related issue. GRPD has repeatedly demonstrated deep collusion with ICE around immigration enforcement. This should include referrals from the GRPS safety department to the GRPD. 
3. Prominent Signage to Protect Students: GRPS should proactively create signage that signifies schools as protected areas and warns off ICE enforcement.
4. Comprehensive Immigration Education: Push out immigration enforcement information to all students and staff, including what their rights and resources are if they encounter ICE. 

Dr. Roby’s response was a bit defensive regarding people’s “feelings” vs facts. The GRPS Superintendent did not address what people said during public comment. She went on to say that ICE or any other law enforcement agency must have a judicial warrant, before the district will allow them to get information and access to students, faculty and staff. This statement made it clear that GRPS would be cooperating with ICE.

The GRPS Communications person then spoke, but essentially repeated what had already been said about work that the GRPS has been doing around immigration. 

At one point one of the GRPS Board of Education members said that ICE agents are “visitors”, like anyone else who comes to their facilities. Visitors don’t come with the intent of arresting and detaining people.

GRPS School Board member Jose Rodriguez then addresses the Resolution and wanted to read it, but Board member Williams opposed this, stating that she wanted to read it in her own time. President Davis then said that the Strategic Plan is how policy gets implemented, not through Resolutions.

Board members Willians doesn’t agree that with the Resolution, since it would undermine the Superintendent. “This is not how we have done this before, as one of the senior board members.” 

School Board member Rodriguez brings up at the end that there has been suppression of the Action Alert Emails calling for a Sanctuary Policy. This means that the GRPS Administration has prevented messages getting to School Board Members. Board member Rodriguez also reads part of the Resolution, which is not included in the current existing policy. Board member Williams responded by saying she is concerned about GRPS funding if the Resolution is adopted. Money over the safety of the GRPS students.

Board member Rodriguez once again brought up the suppression of the Action Alert. The Board President doesn’t want to talk about it. Board member Williams doesn’t want to talk about it and thinks that Board member Rodriguez bringing up the Action Alert was a “surprise” to her. The Board President then tries to re-direct the conversation away from the Action Alert. At this point, without any apparent reason, School Board member Williams gets up and leaves the meeting. 

I left minutes later and was unable to stay for the entire meeting, but there was finally some discussion about maybe putting together an Advisory Committee, which would include those from the affected community, to make recommendations about how the district should move forward on immigration and ICE matters. In addition, there was some willingness amongst the Board members to look at adopting a Resolution.

Here are some School Sanctuary Toolkits, in English and Spanish, which GR Rapid Response to ICE put together years ago.