“YOU’RE GOING TO BE DEPORTED!”

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V10i1 JAN Youre going to get deported
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Narrated by James Cheatham

Living in our ‘safe state’ doesn’t mean you’re immune to fear and harassment.

It was Thursday, November 7, when the reports started rolling in: multiple kids in school were hearing from classmates: “You’re going to be deported” and “ICE is coming for you.” Many were receiving text messages like this, as well. (ICE refers to Immigration and Custom Enforcement, a governmental agency that the ACLU says is “rotten to the core.”) 

One family told Tumbleweird that several of their kids heard these statements at school and came home to tell their mother. They are an immigrant family — only the eldest child was not born in America; the other kids were born here. They are legal immigrants of Mexican descent. But they do not feel safe.

National concerns

Already, Trump’s ‘border czar’ is promising mass deportation. Tom Homan, former director of ICE, is being asked to come back to the position by Trump. Homan said in a conference recently, “You’ve got my word… I will run the biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen.”

When asked about breaking up families with deportation efforts, Homan simply stated: “Families can be deported together.” Trump himself has admitted that American citizens could be deported along with family members who are here illegally. 

State concerns

Washington state has a large immigrant population. There are about 1.2 million immigrants here — over 15% of the population of Washington. In the 2024 election, a super majority voted for a Democratic elected state government. And our state Constitution says that all children residing in the state shall be educated:

It is the paramount duty of the state to make ample provision for the education of all children residing within its borders, without distinction or preference on account of race, color, caste, or sex.

According to Katy Payne, Chief Communications Officer for the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), they are working on a ‘Guidance Document’ that will be published at the end of December. This document will explain the rights and protections for immigrant students in all of Washington’s public schools. 

Payne was asked specifically about the harassing comments and text messages that students are receiving. 

...School districts need to put a stop to them so that they do not continue and develop into a hostile environment. Beyond discriminatory harassment, families may file a harassment, intimidation, and bullying (HIB) complaint for incidents like these. OSPI rules require all school districts to adopt a HIB policy and procedure. The rules also require school districts to consider whether a HIB complaint also alleges possible discrimination, and if so, it needs to be addressed under both the HIB and nondiscrimination or sexual harassment policies and procedures. This page on OSPI’s website describes these protections and procedures in more detail, including the difference between bullying and discriminatory harassment….

 Payne encouraged students and families experiencing harassment to contact their local HIB Compliance Officers, and provided contact information:

There is real concern that law enforcement around the country could be used by the Trump Administration to enact immigration raids. If Trump and Homan enact the immigration sweeps they have promised, there are sheriffs across the U.S. who have been signing on to help enforce them. In an article published by Straight Arrow News (SAN), Trump could grant sheriffs specific immigration functions, including detaining people in county jails that are arrested and have been found to be undocumented. 

In Benton County, sheriff’s deputies work as School Resource Officers (SROs) on two campuses, in the Kiona-Benton City and Finley School Districts. But Payne said that Washington State schools should be safe for students.

When we asked her whether immigration enforcement could occur on school campuses, Payne replied: 

Washington public schools must not initiate engagement with federal immigration authorities for the purpose of sharing student information. It is inconsistent with our state and federal constitutional mandates to serve every student.

Payne went on to explain that before a public school complies with a warrant, judicial order, or a subpoena, the school, “must make reasonable efforts to inform the student and/or parents/guardians … well enough in advance” in order to give them time to seek a protective order. But she also made it clear that it would be possible for the warrant, judicial order, or subpoena to specifically order the school to refrain from such notification (see the Washington State (AGO) Guidance Concerning Immigration Enforcement).

Resources for workers

The Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network (WAISN) has flyers that they are distributing and publishing so immigrants know their rights. A member of the Tri-Cities Immigrant Coalition (TCIC), Carol Larkin, is heading up a small group to meet with local leaders, including police chiefs, school superintendents, and elected officials. TCIC’s mission is to educate, advocate, inform, and support immigrants in our community. They meet monthly via Zoom to plan, collaborate, and report on the work they are doing. Larkin said:

One of the big things that we have going for us right now, actually, that’s different from the Trump administration… [is] the Keep Washington Working Act. … It really prevents our local police from cooperating at all with ICE unless it is a state or federal criminal case.

Larkin went on to explain that Attorney General Bob Ferguson, now the Governor-Elect, put out model policies and guidelines for ‘sensitive locations’:

There’s schools, there’s courthouses, there’s public health facilities and shelters — all of those are sensitive places, and ICE cannot be questioning people [there]. Even local police are not allowed to question people on their citizenship.

Larkin said that meeting with police is important, too. The Keep Washington Working (KWW) Act has been an active law for almost five years. But there are still jurisdictions not working in compliance with the law. Larkin said: 

Some law enforcement agencies are not aware of it, some are not enforcing it…. We are going to be watching for immigrants’ rights to be observed…. We are keeping track and we’re watching.

Along with meeting with local leaders and distributing materials for immigrants, TCIC is also forming rapid response teams who respond to calls when ICE arrives at workplaces for immigration sweeps. These teams work in partnership with WAISN as witnesses during these sweeps. Part of what they do when they arrive is check to see if ICE’s search warrant is legal and signed by a judge, helping ensure that no one’s rights are being violated. According to the Immigrant Defense Project, ICE routinely uses ‘ruses’ — officially-sanctioned lies — to execute raids. Rapid response teams will also film interactions with ICE and record police officers’ information.

TCIC has a resource page for immigrants living in the Tri-Cities area: https://tricitiesimmigrantcoalition.com/community-resources 

Text message from a Richland parent

Keeping students safe

Michelle Whitney, Pasco School District Superintendent, met with concerned families last week. Larkin, along with our Alcon Media correspondent Sergio Acuña, also spoke with some of the families at that meeting. 

Whitney has always had the wellbeing of Pasco students front-of-mind. During the last Trump presidency in 2016, Whitney sent an email regarding problems that were occurring (even before his inauguration). The email is all-too-relevant, once again. Here is an excerpt: 

Over the last few weeks and months, the national dialogue has caused uncertainty for people. In times of uncertainty, our students, parents, and community look to school staff as a foundation of stable, predictable, compassionate support, and to help them make sense of their feelings. 
Please partner with me in assuring each other, our students, and our community that Pasco schools are a safe and welcoming place for everyone. While embracing our own individual political beliefs, we have a rich history of valuing diversity, inclusivity, and acceptance….
Should someone experience intolerance, it is important it is reported, as we expect all students and staff are treated with civility.

Some of the same fears families had eight years ago are resurfacing.

Acuña said, “For the parents, there is a constant worry about being deported or detained, leaving their children without support.”

He spoke with several families about the heightening fear and tension they are now facing. 

One mother in Sunnyside said:

Tengo cuatro hijos estudiando en Sunnyside y tengo mucho miedo luego de estos rumores. Qué pasaría si me voy a trabajar una mañana, pasara algo y me piden papeles? Qué pasaría con mis hijos?

(I have 4 children studying in sunnyside and I'm very scared after these rumors. What would happen if I go to work one morning, something happens and they ask me for papers? What would happen to my children?)

One Pasco student said that the text messages about being deported affected him and his family. “Luego de estos rumores, siento que mi familia está en ‘alerta’ y con miedo,” he said. (“After these rumors I feel that my family is on ‘alert’ and afraid.”)

Another student from Pasco said, “Luego de las noticias del nuevo presidente mis padres han estado hablando de ‘planes de emergencia’ y me tiene muy estresada.” (“After the news of the new president, my parents have been talking about ‘emergency plans’ and it has me very stressed.”)

A family in Finley told Acuña, “No nos sentimos seguros, vemos las noticias, los medios y nos alarmamos. No sabemos qué tanta información es cierta y cuál no.” (“We don't feel safe; we watch the news, the media, and we get alarmed. We don't know how much information is true and how much is false.”)

Tumbleweird contacted our local school districts for comment on this article.

Shawna Dinh, Information Officer for Richland School District, said that students experiencing harassment like the text messages and threats mentioned in this article should be encouraged to report any safety concerns to the district’s tip line: https://www.rsd.edu/tip

Dinh also cited the AG’s guidance in regards to ICE raids at schools, adding:

If ICE is attempting to access non-public areas of a school campus, administration can ask to see a warrant. More information regarding state and federal law pertaining to immigrant students’ rights to attend public school can be found at ospi.k12.wa.us/policy-funding/equity-and-civil-rights/immigrant-students-rights-attend-public-schools. FERPA laws also prohibit us from sharing or releasing information about students to other entities including the federal government, without a warrant.
The district adheres to state and federal laws to protect students from these types of external threats. The education and safety of students remain the district's top priorities, and any disruptions to learning are not tolerated.

Dinh also said, “We partner with the Educational Service District 123 to provide support to our migrant families.”

Citizenship

The Tri-Cities Immigrant Coalition also works with immigrants in the process of applying for citizenship, and helps them with their immigration status, including standing in solidarity when immigrants need support in court via The Accompaniment Program. The program currently has several trained volunteers. Donna Kary spoke about it at TCIC’s December 10 meeting: “All of us, I think, are a little apprehensive when we have to go to court; and so when it’s conducted in something other than your native language, you can imagine the increased anticipation.”

Kary explained that simply being with someone as they go through immigration court serves as support and encouragement. And, she added, “By your presence there, let the other people in the courtroom — the judges, the attorneys, ICE officers, whoever happens to be there — know that there are people in the community who are watching.”

TCIC also supports immigrants by raising money for DACA renewals, scholarships for immigrant children to attend school, and other legal funds. 

We asked another advocacy group in the state, Northwest Justice Project (NJP), what they are doing to help immigrants in Washington. Karla Camac Carlisle, Managing Attorney with NJP, responded: 

The Northwest Justice Project is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that provides civil legal services to people experiencing poverty. Our services target legal problems affecting basic needs such as housing, income, medical care, and family safety. There are about 27,000 people experiencing poverty living in Benton and Franklin Counties. NJP will continue to be here for our clients to combat injustice, strengthen communities, and protect human dignity.

Immigrants are our community members

Families facing racism and other discrimination can reach out to the organizations listed below, no matter what their citizenship status may be.

nwjustice.org/get-legal-help

tricitiesimmigrantcoalition.com

immigrantdefenseproject.org/for-communities

“The common fear that all these families share is the uncertainty and anxiety about potential changes in immigration policies and enforcement,” said Acuña. “They are worried about the possibility of being separated from their children, especially if they are undocumented or have uncertain immigration status.” 


A lifelong resident of Eastern Washington, Dori enjoys the outdoors, her family, and making good trouble. She has worked for many years in broadcasting and reporting and believes in the value of the 4th estate. She is a true community advocate that loves Washington.


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