The State College Area School District superintendent outlined the district's policies if immigration agents turn up in a school building, addressing concerns that began circulating in the community as the Trump administration moves ahead with increased immigration enforcement nationally.
“To be clear, SCASD does not allow any law enforcement representatives to gain access to our buildings without proper legal approval," Superintendent Curtis Johnson said during a board meeting Monday night.
Johnson said he was sharing the district’s protocols in light of recent conversations about the possibility of law enforcement going into schools.
The Trump administration issued a policy change Jan. 21, saying that schools and churches are no longer off limits when it comes to action by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection agencies.
Johnson said if an agent does show up at a school district building, staff will not give information about a student or family member and will not immediately give access beyond the main office.
Instead, Johnson said, the district would consult a lawyer and only take steps after a thorough legal review.
“Please know we will do everything legally possible to protect our school communities, and the safety and security of our students, their families and our employees," he said.
The change in federal policy says that federal immigration agencies can go in schools, churches and hospitals to make arrests.
"Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest," the statement from the Department of Homeland Security says in part.
The move ends a policy that had been in place since 2011.
