Local youth social justice organization Californians for Justice (CFJ) has combined efforts with ÓRALE, a Long Beach immigrant rights coalition, to demand stronger protections for immigrants and undocumented students in the Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD).
Over the past few months, LBUSD has posted messages to its website and social media, created a webpage with immigration resources and recently passed a resolution reaffirming its commitment to historically marginalized students.
However, advocates are demanding the district strengthen the language in its immigration policy regarding the procedure for sharing student information and the presence of officers on campus.
Fernando Acevedo, a community lawyer with ÓRALE, has been assisting in facilitating these efforts by reviewing policy and identifying key recommendations.
The District’s current policy prohibits disclosing a student’s immigration or citizenship status unless it’s authorized by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. However, Acevedo said the recommendation is to update the policy so this information cannot be disclosed unless compelled by a court order.
The second recommendation regards the presence of immigration officers on school campuses.
Acevedo said the policy currently allows immigration officers to bypass protections on campus under “extenuating circumstances,” but he added there’s no legal basis for having that terminology in the policy to allow them to enter.
Instead, the proposal is to remove that terminology so only the superintendent, in consultation with general counsel from LBUSD, could grant access to school grounds. An exception would be if officers provide a federal court explicitly allowing them to enter.
Board Policy 5145.13 addresses the District’s response to immigration enforcement activities on LBUSD campuses. The policy was adopted in 2018 and was most recently revised in February 2024.
The agenda for the board’s March 19 meeting includes an updated draft that the board will review and provide input on.
Students and community members have expressed concerns for their peers since the February 19 board meeting.
Mariana Rosa, a senior at Cabrillo High School, described the impact she has noticed at her school amid increasing tension around immigration. She said classrooms once filled with laughter and camaraderie now have empty seats.
“The reality is heartbreaking. Students are too afraid to attend school, a place that should be a sanctuary of both learning and community,” Rosa said.
CFJ and ÓRALE are encouraging community members to attend LBUSD’s March 19 meeting to urge stronger protections for students and to fill out this form if they plan to attend.
LBUSD Board meetings are hosted on the first and third Wednesdays of each month at 1515 Hughes Way and start at 5 p.m.
