No one really knows if the Trump Administration will be able to actually implement a mass deportation campaign in this country.
The logistics and the cost of such an endeavor will be extremely difficult. However, what will be even more difficult for any government effort to engage in mass deportation will be how much resistance there will be. Imagine if there were thousands of faith communities, schools, non-profits and other institutions that publicly declared their opposition to the threat of mass deportation and their willingness to offer Sanctuary.
I know what kind of commitment and risk it takes to declare your community as a sanctuary for those whom the government deems as “illegal.” In 1986, the community I was living in, Koinonia House, declared itself a sanctuary for Central American political refugees that were fleeing the US sponsored counter-insurgency wars.
One major aspect of becoming a Sanctuary was the need for those seeking to declare themselves a Sanctuary to obtain support from the community, especially in the form of letters. Such letters were a sign that Koinonia House would indeed be trusted with doing the work and it signaled to the federal authorities that those who signed the letters stood with the members of the Grand Rapids Sanctuary. After soliciting letters, Koinonia House received nearly two dozen endorsements from churches, community organizations, university groups, individuals and parents with whom we had developed a relationship with.
The Central American Sanctuary Movement had two main goals. First, was the commitment to offer a safe place for people to live who were fleeing political violence. The second part of the work was to try to influence public opinion and eventually change the national policy around US support for the counter-insurgency wars in Central America.
We never fully knew how much we were under surveillance, but within the first month of offering Sanctuary to the Guatemalans that had arrived, two FBI agents showed up one day at our door. Not knowing who they were, the Guatemalans let them in. I was upstairs doing some work, when one of the Guatemalans came to get me. The FBI agents introduced themselves and then said, “So, what’s going on here?” I responded by saying, “Since you are FBI, we have to assume that you know exactly what is going on here. However, if you don’t have a warrant, then I’m going to have to ask you to leave.” Right at that moment there were several friends who had stopped by, so we invited them in and told said in a loud voice that the FBI agents were here to harass and intimidate us. Fortunately, the FBI agents left. This was a clear lesson about the importance of being public about the Sanctuary work and how being public and visible could prevent us from being arrested and the Guatemalans from being deported.
During the first Trump Administration, a church in Wyoming, Michigan, Joy Like a River, declared itself a sanctuary in 2018. This was certainly welcomed news, but it was also the only church to declare itself a sanctuary, out of roughly 800 churches that exist in the Grand Rapids area.
With the Trump Administration’s threat of mass deportation, we will need lots of churches willing to be a sanctuary, whether or not they publicly declare themselves one or not. It certainly sends a message to the immigrant community about how serious congregations and other institutions are when it comes to what they are willing to do and willing to risk to support those most vulnerable to deportation.
When churches declare themselves a sanctuary, they are making a commitment to provide safe haven for undocumented immigrants. This doesn’t mean that undocumented immigrants have to stay in the church, it just means that the church community is taking on that responsibility. Members of the congregation can house people however they are able to, but the congregation is making a commitment to providing safe haven for those seeking sanctuary. Here are some toolkits for churches that are interested in being a Sanctuary Church:
https://neumc-email.brtapp.com/files/fileshare/sanctuary+movement+toolkit+(umc).pdf
https://www.uua.org/files/pdf/s/sanctuary-toolkit-2017.pdf
In addition to churches, schools can also be sanctuaries, which means that they do not allow ICE on the school premises and will not cooperate with any law enforcement agency that is targeting undocumented immigrants or their children. The GR Rapid Response to Ice group put together this useful Sanctuary toolkit for schools during the first Trump Administration, in English and in Spanish.
Non-profits and even businesses can take a put stance against ICE, by announcing their solidarity with undocumented immigrants and posting signage in a window or near the entrance to their buildings, like the signs included here below.
Imagine what kind of message this sends the immigrant community, where churches, schools, non-profits, local businesses and other institutions take a public stance to be safe spaces for immigrants and to publicly declare that they will not cooperate with ICE or any other law enforcement agencies that is seeking to arrest, detain and deport immigrants. This is the kind of solidarity we need. This is one way we can resist the Trump Administration’s threat of mass deportation.
Rep. Scholten once again votes with the GOP to criminalize immigrants and put them at risk of deportation
Last week, I noted that Rep. Hillary Scholten’s rhetoric on US immigration policy was different than her voting record. One clear example earlier this month is when Rep. Scholten voted with the Republicans to pass the Laken Riley Act, which is an awful policy that will further criminalize immigrants.
Rep. Scholten commented in her most recent weekly Email message with a comment about immigration:
As a nation, we have a right to enforce our borders and our immigration laws. HOW we do it matters. ICE is required to follow the law, and discrimination and racial profiling are still illegal. Here in West Michigan, we have seen the harmful and disastrous impact that reckless enforcement can have on our citizens and even our veterans. I’ve stood up to it before, and I’m prepared to do it again.
Note that Rep. Scholten leads with the emphasis on enforcement of US borders and laws, but says nothing about the Trump Administration’s threat to engage in mass deportation.
After voting for the awful Laken Riley Act, Rep. Scholten then votes for the Preventing Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act, H.R. 30. Republicans were claiming that the Preventing Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act would protect women and children. Republican Rep. Nancy Mace from South Carolina argued that the legislation was necessary to protect women and children from a “hoard” of undocumented immigrants sexually abusing “American” women and girls.
In response to H.R. 30, at least 200 organizations that fight against domestic violence have condemned the legislation and are saying that the Preventing Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act will make it easier to deport survivors who get caught up in the criminal legal and child welfare systems as a result of the abuse they suffered.
In a recent article from the Intercepted, it states:
The bill would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to broaden the definition of certain crimes related to sexual and domestic violence offenses, altering the standards for whether someone is “inadmissible” — ineligible for a visa or permanent status in the U.S. — or deportable. The bill imports a definition of domestic violence and other related offenses from the 2022 Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act that was intended to expand access to grant funding to help survivors, not to be used in the context of immigration enforcement. Survivors acting in self-defense, or who are falsely accused of one of these actions, may be deportable or inadmissible, regardless of whether they have been convicted of a crime.
Once again, Rep. Hillary Scholten has not only voted with Republicans, she has voted for legislation that will further criminalize immigrants. It is high time people come to terms with the fact that, Rep. Hillary Scholten has voted for two pieces of legislation over the past few weeks that will assist the Trump Administration in their campaign to engage in mass deportation. Rep. Scholten is NOT an ally in the fight for immigration justice.
Palestine Solidarity Information, Analysis, Local Actions and Events for the week of January 26th
It has been more than 15 months since the Israeli government began their most recent assault on Gaza and the West Bank. The retaliation for the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack in Israel, has escalated to what the international community has called genocide, therefore, GRIID will be providing weekly links to information and analysis that we think can better inform us of what is happening, along with the role that the US government is playing. We will also provide information on local events and actions that people can get involved in. All of this information is to provide people with the capacity of what Noam Chomsky refers to as, intellectual self-defense.
Information
Israel Invades Jenin Days After Signing Gaza “Ceasefire”
Bad Deal Better Than No Deal: Ex-Israeli Negotiator Fears Netanyahu Could Resume Attacks
The Fight for Dignity: Reshaping Gaza’s Post-War Narrative
Gaza Ceasefire at Last: How Israel’s ‘First Defeat’ Will Shape the Country’s Future
Why the West is wrong about Hamas
The Israeli Military Is One of Microsoft’s Top AI Customers, Leaked Documents Reveal
Contrasting Reality: Treatment of Israeli and Palestinian Prisoners
Nearly 40,000 Palestinian Children Orphaned by War in Gaza
Analysis & History
The Systematic Destruction of Gaza’s Healthcare System: A Pattern of Genocide
EXCLUSIVE: Hamas Intends to Uphold Agreement, Senior Official Tells Drop Site in 30-Minute Interview
Local news stories center cops and the law on immigration matters, omit the affected community and those who are actively defying unjust immigration laws
Over the past few days there have been several news stories regarding the possibility of mass deportations and how local institutions are planning to respond to it. I want to deconstruct each news story and then offer up several responses.
WXMI 17 recent aired a story that centered on the Grand Rapids Catholic Diocese and the issue the threat of mass deportation.
The Fox 17 reporter framed the story around the Trump Administration’s decision to lift the policy of restricted areas where ICE can arrest and detain people, such as churches, hospitals, schools and libraries.
The only source used in the channel 17 story was someone with the Director of Immigration Legal Services for the Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids. The spokesperson stated that people were afraid and that they were encouraging people to know their rights by not speaking to ICE officials. However, they also said that if ICE has a warrant they will comply. For me and for other abolitionists, just because ICE has a court sanctioned warrant, doesn’t mean it is just or fair.
A second WXMI 17 story sourced three people, Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker, the Kent County Sheriff and GRPD Chief Winstrom. All three of these people who are part of law enforcement in Kent County had different, but similar responses to the threat of mass deportation and ICE coming after immigrants.
Becker was quoted as saying, “I don’t think legally, it’s going to have too much of an effect…….It’s going to be more how the public, you know, and some of the, you know, people worry about getting deported. It’s always been an issue in terms of: Are they going to be willing to come forward and report crimes?…….You know, we’ve had some significant crimes of some dangerous individuals who were here in the country illegally. But if we don’t have other people who are in the country illegally reporting those crimes, they’re still out there. So, it’s kind of a very difficult situation, a delicate situation.”
Becker’s comment reflect his tremendous privilege, plus his own bias, since he emphasizes the immigrant behavior, not the function and role of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The channel 17 reporter also used a statement from the Kent County Sheriff, which read:
“We are in the very early stages of the Trump Administrations Executive Orders related to immigration law enforcement and not much detail has been provided. Exactly what these new orders will mean for law enforcement at the local level is not entirely clear. We are carefully assessing the information we have been provided and will continue to do so as this very dynamic situation evolves.”
Needless to say, the Kent County Sheriff’s statement is vague and non-committal.
Lastly, here is what GRPD Chief Winstrom was quoted as saying: “Everyone in Grand Rapids can feel safe contacting the police………….Individuals need to feel comfortable talking to police officers. They need to know that when they call 911, they’re not going to be turned from a victim into a suspect…….The federal government has an immense amount of power; there are very, very clear lines in place of who has authority over who, and just the police here in Grand Rapids, we’re just simply not in the immigration business.”
The 3rd local news story related to ICE and Trump Administration policies was posted by MLive on Friday morning, with the headline, “Grand Rapids police ‘not in the business of immigration enforcement,’ chief says.”
Winstrom was quoted in the MLive story with pretty much the same comments from the WXMI 17 story. The only fundamental difference was the fact that MLive cited the GRPD and immigration policy that was enacted in 2019. The GRPD policy reference in the article is actually called the Foreign National’s Policy, which has lots of lofty rhetoric, but it also states, “The policy allows officers to provide assistance to federal immigration authorities when there is an emergency that poses an immediate danger to public safety or federal agents.” Ultimately, what the GRPD determines to be an “immediate danger to public safety” is often something as simple as marching in the streets, something I have witnessed first hand. In addition, it must be made clear that the whole reason why this policy was adopted in August of 2019, was because in 2018 the GRPD contacted ICE to racial profile a former US Marine who was a US citizen and have him sent to a detention facility. This action on behalf of the GRPD got national attention and was such an embarrassment to the City that they crafted this policy.
What I find so deeply problematic about these stories and the comments from people in positions of power are that:
- The Kent County Prosecutor, the Kent County Sheriff and the GRPD have demonstrated over and over again that they will fully cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
- GR Rapid Response and Movimiento Cosecha confronted Kent County around the ICE contract they had since 2012. County officials ignored these push to end the contract but because of the constant pressure and media attention around the contract, ICE ended it in September of 2019.
- More importantly, the local news media not center and elevated the voices of those from the affected community, those who are at risk of arrest, detention and deportation from ICE.
I don’t believe that we can put any faith in local or national law enforcement officers to respect the dignity of undocumented immigrants. They follow the law and the laws favor those with privilege and power. If people really want to engage in solidarity with undocumented immigrants then they should join the efforts of Movimiento Cosecha GR and GR Rapid Response to ICE. State agencies cannot and will not center those most vulnerable, so we have to look out for each other, take risks and take action at this moment in history.
The Grand Rapids Power Structure loves the new Michigan Senate Minority leader, who is also running for Governor in 2026
Since the 2024 elections, when the Democrats lost control of the State House and nearly lost control of the State Senate, there have been some changes in State government leadership.
Aric Nebitt, who attended the far right Hillsdale College, was first elected to the State House in 2010, representing Van Buren County and part of Allegan County. In 2018, Nesbitt was elected to represented the 20th Senate District in Michigan and he was named Minority Leader of the State Senate to begin 2025.
Last week, Aric Nesbitt announced he will run for governor in 2026. In an MLive article, Nesbitt is quoted as saying:
“The people of Michigan have been left behind under Democrat rule as they’ve raised taxes, wasted a $9 billion surplus, chose politically motivated corporate handouts over fixing our roads, and tried to impose their left-wing ideology on all of us.”
Nesbitt went on to say, “As governor, I will put Michigan first by supporting taxpayers over the woke left, empowering parents, keeping families safe, and standing with President Trump to revive our manufacturing industry and Make Michigan Great Again.”
The MLive article doesn’t question, challenge or verify Nesbitt’s comments, which is generally how commercial media covers candidates and elections. In addition, there is no information about Nesbitt’s voting record or his campaign finances, which are the only factors in determining who politicians really are.
If you look at the campaign funding for Nesbitt since he began his campaign to become a State Senator in 2017, you can see the kind of groups and individuals he has taken money from.
Some of the groups he has taken money from are:
Republican State Leadership Committee – $100,000.00
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan PAC – $57,100.00
MI Association of Health Plans PAC – $49,300.00
Comcast, Meijer PAC, DTE, MI Realtors, Michigan Chamber of Commerce, etc. We all know that these entities put profit over people and always want politicians to adopt policies that are favorable for their bottom line.
Then there are individuals who are part of the Grand Rapids Power Structure, who have also bankrolled Nesbitt, such as:
John Kennedy III
JC Huizenga
Maria & Doug DeVos
Matthew Hayworth
Richard DeVos Jr.
Daniel Hibma
These people also have an interest in expanding their wealth, but they also embrace specific ideological principles that are anti-abortion, anti-union, anti-public education, anti-LGBTQ, and anti-government regulation.
If you want to look at Aric Nesbitt’s voting record as State Senator, you can see all of his 7,585 votes, legislation he has sponsored and amendments he has supported.
Next week, we’ll take a look at Jocelyn Benson and who has bankrolled her as Secretary of State, since she just announced her candidacy for Governor of Michigan.
If you are thinking about coming to the Grand Rapids City Commission meeting on 1/28, here are some talking points for why GR should be a Sanctuary City
As of this posting, the Action Alert from GR Rapid Response to ICE, already has 13,110 letters that were sent to Grand Rapids City officials.
However, groups have generated that many letters in the past, like in 2020, when groups like Defund the GRPD got thousands of people to send letters to GR City officials to reduce the amount of the City’s budget that would go to the cops.
We need people to show up in person and use their 3 minutes of public comment to pressure GR City officials to do the right thing and help create a social and political climate of safety for immigrants in this city.
There is a new Mayor and two new City Commissioners that are just getting their feet wet with city politics, so anything is possible. I will say, that in December, when I was in Lansing to support the Cosecha Hunger Strike, I saw the newly elected Mayor of Grand Rapids, David LaGrand. I pointed them out and one of the Cosecha organizers ask to speak with him, then asked if he would support Grand Rapids being a Sanctuary City. LaGrand took the conversation in a different direction and when Cosecha pressed him on what the City can do, he never committed to what they were asking him to support.
If you read the Action Alert for Grand Rapids to be a Sanctuary City, the language of that Action Alert says:
People in our city depend on and interact with immigrant neighbors every day: from the harvested food we eat, to the restaurants we patronize; from the construction of buildings we live and work in, to the manufactured products we use daily; from the clean hotel rooms and offices we visit, to the home health care we receive or provide for our loved ones. They are the children learning and playing in our schools, the drivers who stop and wave us through the busy traffic turn, and the neighbors who offer a smile on our daily walks and errands.
We must make clear that immigrants are valued members of our community and that their safety is a priority.
Adopting Sanctuary City status will mean that Grand Rapids:
- Declares itself a sanctuary to undocumented immigrants, and;
- Commits to preventing the Grand Rapids Police Department from cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials and any law enforcement agency that seek to arrest, detain and deport undocumented immigrants.
However, the letter itself has some important Talking Points, such as:
In declaring itself a Sanctuary City, Grand Rapids would implement and execute the following:
- policies restricting the ability of state and local police to make arrests for federal immigration violations, or to detain individuals on civil immigration warrants;
- policies restricting the police or other city workers from asking about immigration status;
- policies prohibiting “287(g)” agreements through which ICE deputizes local law enforcement officers to enforce federal immigration law;
- policies that prevent local governments from entering into a contract with the federal government to hold immigrants in detention
- policies preventing immigration detention centers in Grand Rapids.
You should also think about making your message personal, especially if you are part of the affected community or you have relationships with the affected community, such as friends, co-workers, people who are part of your faith community, etc.
For me, this issue is deeply personal for two reasons. In the early 1980s, I was part of the Koinonia House, which was a Sanctuary House for political refugees from Guatemala. I learned a great deal from the families who we offered Sanctuary, and have written about it.
Additionally, Koinonia House became a foster family to a young Guatemalan who had been forcibly recruited into the military at age 13. He went AWOL at one point and was picked up by the Guatemalan military, tortured, then went AWOL again and made his way to the US border. Since he was a minor, we were able to become foster parents and worked through Bethany Christian Services to get him to Grand Rapids.
For me, doing sanctuary work has been personal for several decades, so much so that it has been transformative work to engage in. I plan on sharing this story when I use my public comment time at the Grand Rapids City Commission meeting on January 28th.
Grand Rapids Hip Hop station does a story about the effort to get Grand Rapids to become a Sanctuary City
Local radio station, Magic 104.9, known as GR’s Hip Hop station, posted a story on Wednesday regarding the effort of GR Rapid Response to ICE and Movimiento Cosecha GR to pressure the City of Grand Rapids to declare itself a Sanctuary City.
As many would say, all press is good press. In this case the information is pretty good, since it seems to use some of the language around the Action Alert directed at Grand Rapids City officials.
The Magic 104.9 also mentions the Action Alert to pressure the Grand Rapids Public Schools to adopt a Sanctuary Policy for the district, which GR Rapid Response to ICE and Movimiento Cosecha GR began on January 13th.
Unfortunately, the only concrete source that was cited on the radio station’s website was the far right anti-immigration group, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). According to SourceWatch, The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) is an anti-immigration group that has been branded a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). FAIR calls itself an “organization of concerned citizens who share a common belief that our nation’s immigration policies must be reformed to serve the national interest.” It was formed in 1979 by population control advocate and nativist John Tanton, who believes that immigration is a significant part of the US population “problem,” and is part of the anti-immigrant John Tanton Network.
It should also be noted that John Tanton was from Michigan, and created a number of Far Right groups that embraced White Supremacy and eugenics. Tanton died in 2019 and was from Petosky, Michigan.
While I support the efforts of Magic 104.9, it would have been best to contact GR Rapid Response to ICE and Movimiento Cosecha GR directly, since those two groups are the ones behind the push for institutions to declare sanctuary in Grand Rapids, plus Cosecha is made up of immigrant organizers who are directly impacted by ICE violence.
Separating rhetoric from voting record on US immigration policies: Why Rep. Scholten isn’t being honest about her immigration record
On Sunday, I received my weekly Email message from Rep. Hillary Scholten. These Emails come with the usual platitudes that politicians love to make about themselves and their political party.
One thing that stood out was headlined by this statement: A note about immigration work in the incoming Trump administration. What you see below here is a deconstruction and critique of what Rep. Scholten says and what her actions are.
As always we have to separate the rhetoric of politicians and look at what they actually do, especially in terms of policy and how they vote. My assessment of Rep. Scholten is that she is no real friend of immigrant communities, especially of undocumented immigrants.
Here are several previous GRIID posts that support my analysis of Rep. Scholten’s recent Email statement about immigration.
Deconstructing a Hillary Scholten political ad: Promoting xenophobic nationalism
Rep. Scholten votes with the Republicans to further criminalize the undocumented immigrant community
Despite cold weather conditions, more than 100 people marched for immigrant justice in downtown Grand Rapids
The weather advisories were bleak, with warnings of sub-zero temperatures that caused closures and cancellations throughout West Michigan. However, even the frigid cold did not prevent Movimiento Cosecha from organizing a march on the day of the Presidential Inauguration in D.C.
In a Media Advisory sent out early Monday morning from Movimiento Cosecha, the advisory stated:
“Movimiento Cosecha Michigan is mobilizing a march on MLK Day to demand an end to deportations in our state. We march in solidarity with immigrants, including the undocumented, who are human beings striving for a better future for their children and communities. They deserve to live with dignity, respect, and without the constant fear of deportation. The new administration rose to power with promises of mass deportations, but our commitment to the struggle for immigrant rights remains steadfast. We will resist these threats with strength and unity.”
The march began at Rosa Parks Circle, with several large banners, signs, drums, chants, hand-warmers and an animated crowd of around 100 people. The march went east on Pearl Street in downtown Grand Rapids, then turned north onto Ottawa Avenue.
Shortly after entering onto Ottawa Avenue, Cosecha organizers invited people to enter the Waters Building, where people gathered in the lobby to hear from the affected community about what immigrants are fighting for. Another Cosecha organizer from Muskegon read a declaration in Spanish, which was translated into English, a declaration that condemned the threat of mass deportations from the incoming Trump Administration. While people listened to the declaration, a few other Cosecha organizers slipped away to an out of the way stairwell that brought them to the Investigations office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The office was not open, so they taped a copy of the declaration on the door of the ICE office (pictured above), making sure that local ICE officials knew that immigrant justice organizers were going to resist the threat of mass deportations.
Heading back out to the street, the marchers made their way down to Michigan Street and stopped in front of the Federal Building, where another Cosecha organizer provided a powerful testimony against the fear-mongering and the xenophobic nationalism that the US government has been perpetrating against undocumented immigrants over the past few decades.
The Cosecha March for NO DEPORTATIONS, then went south on Monroe and was headed towards the convention center, when organizers directed them to starting crossing to the other side of the street. However, when most of the marchers were in the street at the crosswalk, they stopped and occupied that space for the next 10 minutes. Standing in the street and chanting in English and Spanish, completely stopped traffic on Monroe Avenue. This disruption further animated the crowd, which was just the energy boost they needed to finish the march back to Rosa Parks Circle.
People mingled for a bit at the end of the march and even gathered for a group photo. The event was successful and involved the support of numerous other autonomous groups in Grand Rapids that helped make the Cosecha Michigan action an excellent counter-narrative to the banality coming out of the nation’s capital. Cosecha Michigan will need this kind of energy, especially from allies, in order to actively resist what is coming. This fight will not be easy, but last night was a good start.
Grand Rapids Institute for Information Democracy 
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:
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.