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Community groups and staff urge district to adopt immigrant‑safety measures and trauma resources
Summary
Multiple community speakers and staff at the Sept. 9 Carpinteria Unified meeting pressed the board to adopt specific protections for immigrant students and families, including safe‑perimeter policies, multilingual 'know‑your‑rights' resources, staff training and expanded mental‑health support.
CARPINTERIA, Calif. — Community members, teachers and health professionals urged the Carpinteria Unified School District Board of Trustees on Sept. 9 to adopt concrete measures to protect immigrant students and families from immigration‑enforcement activity and to expand trauma‑informed supports.
At the podium, Dr. Johnny Williams of the Carpinteria Immigrant Rights Coalition said the coalition has grown to more than 100 members and listed six specific actions the group requested, including establishment of school perimeters where immigration enforcement would not be allowed without a valid judicial warrant, multilingual 'know‑your‑rights' materials, staff training and expanded counseling.
"When children are worried about deportation or family separation, they cannot focus, engage, or thrive," Dr. Johnny Williams said. "Schools must act as safe havens and adopt trauma‑informed practices that create stability and trust."
Why it matters: Speakers described absenteeism and mental distress they attribute to recent immigration‑enforcement activity near campuses and asked the district to take steps to ensure students can attend without fear. The requests include operational measures (safe walking routes, voluntary monitoring), staff training, attendance policy changes to avoid penalizing absences driven by fear, and additional counseling resources.
What speakers requested - A perimeter policy to limit immigration enforcement presence near school campuses except with a judicial warrant. The coalition offered trained volunteers prepared to help monitor routes. - Multilingual know‑your‑rights resources (the meeting cited AB 699 as an existing state requirement for access to information). - Staff training on responding to encounters with immigration officers and protecting student privacy. - Flexibility in attendance policies so absences driven by fear are not penalized. - Expanded mental health and virtual counseling options for students too fearful to attend in person. - Safe transportation and monitored walking routes to reduce fear‑related absenteeism.
Board and staff response Superintendent Rigby and other administrators said the district has an existing Safe Haven resolution adopted in 2017 and has distributed guidance to staff and families about the district's response to immigration‑enforcement incidents. Rigby said district officials would meet with requesters to review what's already in place and to identify where additional measures are feasible within the district's legal authority.
"There's a conversation that needs to continue to happen," Superintendent Rigby said, noting the district will follow up and meet with community members to clarify existing practices and where changes may be implemented.
Next steps and constraints Administrators asked to meet with coalition members and staff to compare the requested items with current policy and state law. Several speakers emphasized that some requested steps — for example, limiting enforcement activity at a campus perimeter — may depend on broader state legislation or law‑enforcement procedures. The board did not adopt new board policy at the Sept. 9 meeting but directed staff to continue discussions and to identify feasible procedural changes and training opportunities.
