Residents urge Kingston schools to strengthen protections for immigrant students after local ICE detentions

Residents told the Kingston City School District Board of Education they want stronger protections for immigrant students and families following recent detentions in Ulster County.

At the start of public comment, Mariel Fiore thanked trustees for the appointment vote and urged the board to conduct a statewide or national search for the next permanent principal at George Washington Elementary rather than assigning a local candidate. Fiore said she wanted clarity about the previous principal's status and also urged the district to provide "Know Your Rights training, general protocols, not just security personnel," and to address "bus stops and fears that parents may have to bring or wait with children for buses." She also asked for an update on a board resolution on immigration that had been discussed in committee.

Anna Jacobs, who identified herself as living in the Kingston School District and working with local rapid-response organizers, described detentions in Ulster County the previous day and the trauma those events cause for students and families. Jacobs said, "This is traumatic for all of us, for young people, for immigrant families. It's impacting people's lives, their ability to move through the world, to come to school, to feel safe coming to school." She urged the district to "pursue all avenues possible to make sure that we have the strongest protections so that nobody else is taken from our community," including protections for buses and outdoor areas, Know Your Rights training for every person who works in the schools ("whether they be contracted staff or full time teachers or administrators"), and trauma-informed mental health supports for students and families.

Superintendent Dr. Paul J. Patolino responded during his report that the district has been working with a local immigrant-support network (referred to in the meeting as UIDN/UDIN/Ulster Rapid Response) to establish communications when enforcement events occur. Patolino said district staff identified affected families, connected counselors and social workers, and provided supports for students after the recent detentions; he also said the executive director of that immigrant network will provide Know Your Rights training for security guards and monitors at a superintendent conference day on Nov. 4. Regarding attendance, Patolino reported the district had "dug deeply into our attendance" data and found attendance among Latino and immigrant students "about the same as it was last year" at "just a little bit above 93%," which he characterized as evidence that students are coming to school.

Why it matters: Public-safety actions by federal immigration authorities can affect student attendance, trauma levels, and the ability of schools to provide stable learning environments. Community requests at the meeting asked the district to codify procedures and trainings to reduce disruption and support affected children.

What the board and staff will do next: The superintendent said the district will continue collaboration with the local immigrant-support network and provide Know Your Rights training for security staff on Nov. 4; staff also reviewed attendance data and reported no large change in Latino or immigrant student attendance compared with the prior year. The speakers asked the board to inform the community about ongoing steps and to move forward on the pending immigration-related resolution discussed in policy committee.

Ending: The public-comment period featured two community members urging concrete steps to protect students; district staff described existing communication protocols and planned training but did not announce a new formal board policy at the meeting.