SUMMARY
There is considerable discussion in news outlets about the impact of immigration enforcement policies on children and families. Recent incidents across the country and reported in the press raise alarms throughout immigrant communities. Clearly there is great fear in this hyper-sensitized environment.
The UCLA Civil Rights Project, Migration Policy Institute and The Wilson Center presented this forum to address these questions:
- To what extent is the ramped up immigration enforcement impacting our nation’s public schools?
- How does it vary by region and what is the “collateral” fallout for non-immigrant students?
- How are educators reacting and to what extent is this affecting them?
- What rights do students have and what happens to U.S.-citizen children when they are sent to a country and school system they do not know?
Four new research papers were presented with brief highlights. There was ample time for Q&A and discussion.
The studies included:
- A new national survey of the impact of immigration enforcement on teaching and learning in the nation’s schools
- The impact of immigration enforcement on educators
- Federal and state policy affecting the children of immigrants and their schooling
- What happens to US citizen students caught up in deportation of family members
AGENDA
12:00 Introduction: Christopher Wilson, Wilson Center/Mexico Institute
12:03 Moderator: Claudio Sanchez, National Public Radio
Presentions (7 minutes each):
12:07 Patricia Gándara, Civil Rights Project, UCLA
“U.S. Immigration Enforcement Policy & Its Impact on Teaching and Learning in the Nation’s Schools”
12:15 Shena Sanchez, University of California-Los Angeles
12:23 Julie Sugarman, Migration Policy Institute
12:31 Bryant Jensen, Brigham Young University
“When Families are Deported: Schooling for US-Citizen Students in Mexico”
12:39 Commentary: Lily Eskelsen Garcia, National Education Association
12:47 Q&A led by Moderator Claudio Sanchez
1:27 Program Wrap-up
See the archived webcast and more details.