Gregory Sampson has reported from Florida that districts are preparing to aid ICE in searching out undocumented children. His first report covered the new policies in Duval schools. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the end of it.
From Florida Today, as reposted by the Florida Times-Union: Six central Florida school districts have issued their own policies regarding what to do if ICE shows up. Spoiler alert: it’s worse than Duval. The six districts are Brevard, Orange, Volusia, St. Lucie, Osceola, and Seminole.
- Verify ICE agent’s identity via badge, photo ID, or business card. (Business card?! As in all it takes is a trip to a local print shop in order to gain access to schoolchildren?)
- Warrants are not needed for ICE to gain access to a campus, although agents must sign in and out following visitor procedures in the front office.
- Administrators should attempt to contact parents before agents interview their child, but if the agents tell the school not to, they shall comply with the order.
- Administrators should attempt to remain in the room during the interview, but if the agents order them to leave, they shall comply with the order.
- If a child is arrested, the parents should be informed immediately, except in Brevard, which says that is the responsibility of the law enforcement agency, which in this case would be ICE. In St. Lucie and Osceola, if ICE directs the school not to notify parents, that should be documented.
- St. Lucie, Volusia, and Seminole districts warn employees that they are subject to arrest or other legal consequences if they do not follow the directions given to them by ICE.
- A subpoena or court order is needed for ICE to access student records.
Credit to Finch Walker of Florida Today, who investigated and wrote the story. (Sorry for the paywall, but the USA Today chain does not give subscribers the ability to gift articles like the New York Times or Washington Post.)
Soooooooooooooooooooooooooo, school employees are told to follow ICE orders even if not legal or they will end up in the slammer themselves.
