Community members urge Kingston City School District to adopt immigrant-protection resolution

AJ, a community member, told the Kingston City School District Board of Education that families in the district are frightened by recent immigration-enforcement activity and urged the board to adopt a formal resolution protecting immigrant students and families. "We need to do everything we can as a community," AJ said, describing a family that self-deported after a relative was detained and emphasizing that children are leaving school communities out of fear.

Jennifer Cook, who said she is a parent in Ulster County, described launching a pledge to "protect the people who make up the place I call home" and said the pledge has about 130 signers so far, many from Kingston. She told the board she and others have prepared a draft resolution with guidance from the New York Civil Liberties Union and the NEA and have emailed that draft and her testimony to trustees.

Why it matters: Trustees receive public comments as part of their oversight responsibilities. A board resolution would be a formal public statement of district priorities and could guide administrative practices, communications and the district's response when families express fear about enforcement actions. Board members did not discuss a vote on that resolution during the meeting; the public commenters requested the board consider and publicly communicate whatever protections it adopts.

What the speakers asked for: AJ and Cook asked the board to • formally consider and adopt a resolution protecting immigrant students and families; and • publicly communicate current protections and how the district will implement any new commitments. Cook offered the pledge and the resolution draft to the board and said she would submit hard copies upon request.

Next steps noted in the meeting: The speakers said they had emailed the draft resolution and asked the board to review it. No formal action on a resolution was taken during the session recorded in the transcript.