Natomas Charter Board weighs protections and procedures in immigration enforcement policy
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Summary
Board members reviewed a draft policy responding to Assembly Bill 699 that limits collection of family immigration status, restricts campus access by enforcement to nonpublic areas, and outlines response steps for warrants and requests; members asked legal counsel to tighten resource language and clarify public vs. nonpublic zones.
The Natomas Charter School Board reviewed a draft of Board Policy 5145.13 on immigration-related matters, developed with attorneys following Assembly Bill 699. Staff said the policy is designed to limit collection and retention of family immigration status information and to set clear procedures for responding to immigration-enforcement requests on campus.
A staff presenter summarized the policy’s key elements: schools will not retain immigration-status information after necessary verification, nonpublic campus areas (classrooms and secured hallways) are not open to enforcement officers without legal process, and the front office and campus-adjacent parking lots may be treated as public spaces depending on access controls. "What we're saying here is we do not permit officers to enter non public areas," a presenter said while explaining the policy’s intent to protect students and families.
Board members focused on several clarifications they want added: • a precise definition of "public" versus "nonpublic" spaces (signage and visitor sign-in were recommended), • clearer language specifying which administrators may view surveillance recordings, and • tightened wording in the "additional resources" section so the policy does not create unrealistic expectations about outcomes from legal-aid referrals. Members asked staff to consult legal counsel to refine the ICE-detainee-locator bullet and to rephrase reference to legal-aid organizations so it reads that those organizations "support families and students" rather than implying guaranteed outcomes.
On the question of warrants or judicial process, staff said the district will consult counsel before producing footage or permitting access: when a valid warrant is presented, the district will follow legal counsel’s guidance and respond accordingly. Staff reiterated that their practice is to allow families to view clips together with administrators when footage is used for disciplinary clarification, but the district does not release or provide copies of recordings to families unless subpoenaed or under law-enforcement process.
Next steps: staff will return with edits recommended by legal counsel (clarified signage and resource language) and suggested language tightening for administrators’ access to recordings. The board did not take a final vote on the policy at this meeting.