Via Community News Service, a University of Vermont journalism internship, on assignment for the Winooski News
The Winooski School Board will discuss a proposed sanctuary school policy for the second time at their upcoming meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 12, giving clarity to the school’s faculty if immigration agents arrive.
The policy could have major implications for the community, especially given recent executive orders from President Donald Trump and his focus on immigration policy.
On Jan. 21, the U.S. Department of Justice released a memo warning against efforts to block immigration enforcement actions.
“Federal law prohibits state and local actors from resisting, obstructing or otherwise failing to comply with lawful immigration-related commands and requests. The U.S Attorney’s office and litigating components of the Department of Justice shall investigate incidents involving any such misconduct for potential prosecution,” the memo reads.
This comes after numerous schools across the country have declared themselves to be sanctuary schools that will attempt to protect their students regardless of immigration status.
For Winooski Schools Superintendent Wilmer Chavarria, the sanctuary policy would not go beyond what is lawfully required. He said that Winooski Schools are “not law enforcement agencies” and should not be acting like them “unless we are the ones to initiate something in response to (the) protection and safety of our children.”
“We will not willingly unlock the doors if our legal counsel has not advised us to do that,” Chavarria added.
The proposal in Winooski seeks to accomplish two goals, Chavarria said: lay out the parameters for school staff and reassure families.
Chavarria said teachers should reach out to him instead of addressing the agents themselves, “so that our lawyers can review the respective documentation the agencies have brought to the school.”
Community response to the proposal so far appears to be mixed. On social media, some said the policy was an overreach while others saw the designation as a way to protect students and support families.
School board members brought their concerns to the table at the Jan. 8 school board meeting. Some members worried the wording in the proposal could create confusion.
“I think the title of a policy could be confusing to families and students because our legal authority is pretty limited to provide sanctuary,” said Nicole Mace, a Winooski school board member. “The federal government has broad authority to enforce immigration law.”
Mace was also concerned about “providing families with unrealistic expectations.”
Changes have been made in the proposal to define terms and make it more clear, but these adjustments do not affect the core of the policy.
The Winooski School District is one of the most diverse in Vermont and includes many immigrant and refugee students. About 33% of the district’s 768 students receive multilingual services and about 57% identify as Black, Indigenous or people of color, according to the district.
“Diversity is a beautiful thing,” Chavarria said. “It’s a thing that brings value and quality to educational exposures for all students. And so we appreciate it and we nurture it. We want to protect it.”
The Feb. 12 school board meeting starts at 6 p.m. in the Winooski School District Library.