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Rep. Finger McDonald proposes bill concept to require schools to notify community when immigration agents are verified on campus
Summary
Representative Sarah Finger McDonald presented a bill concept requiring K–12 and higher‑education institutions to notify students, families and staff when immigration enforcement agents are verified on campus; a Portland schools youth specialist testified that fear of enforcement has led to a 7–8 percentage‑point drop in Latino student attendance at her school.
Representative Sarah Finger McDonald presented a bill concept to the House Interim Committee on Education on Jan. 13 that would require K–12 schools and higher‑education institutions to notify families, students and staff when the verified presence of immigration enforcement agents (for example, Immigration and Customs Enforcement) is confirmed on school grounds.
Finger McDonald said the proposal would use existing campus alert systems (higher‑education institutions already use Clery Act alerts for threats to campus health and safety) to provide trusted information to communities so families do not rely on social‑media rumors. She framed the bill as a modest step to protect attendance and student safety by ensuring accurate, timely information about enforcement activity.
Veronica (Vero) Bustillos, a youth transition specialist with Portland Public Schools, testified about observed impacts: she said students had become fearful, reporting anxiety and attendance drops. Bustillos told the committee her school saw an approximate 7–8 percentage‑point decline in Latino student attendance after the winter holidays and described students avoiding classes and community‑college opportunities because of fear about family members and immigration enforcement.
Representative members acknowledged the concern and the committee said the concept will have a formal public hearing during the legislative session. No formal action was taken at the informational meeting.
Proponents said the bill aims to give families accurate information and reduce unnecessary absenteeism by ensuring schools use their alert systems to notify communities when immigration‑enforcement presence is verified on campus.
