Evergreen board delays vote on immigrant‑protections resolution after students, community press for changes

The Evergreen School District Board of Directors on Feb. 11 agreed to postpone a planned vote on Resolution 70‑21, a proposed measure affirming undocumented students’ rights and clarifying procedures for immigration enforcement access to schools, after hours of public comment from students and community organizations and a presentation by City of Vancouver officials.

Councilwoman Diana Perez of the City of Vancouver and Vancouver Police Chief Troy Price told the board the city and police department aim to keep schools safe spaces and that local officers are not immigration agents. “The city of Vancouver and the Vancouver police department believe that to ensure community safety every member of the public needs to feel safe contacting law enforcement,” Perez said. “Vancouver Police Officers are not authorized immigration officials nor do they have the capacity nor training to act as such,” she added.

The superintendent, Dr. Christine Maloney, described district steps already under way: a Refugee and Immigrant Family Resource webpage, a district policy titled Limiting Immigration Enforcement in Schools (Policy…