Students urge East Ramapo to adopt policy shielding immigrant students from ICE

Student speakers at the East Ramapo Central School District's March 10 board meeting urged trustees to adopt a formal policy to protect immigrant students from enforcement actions on campus.

"Protecting our schools from ICE enforcement, ensuring that students can focus on their education without fear and anxiety" was the core appeal from Emily Segarra, a Ramapo High School senior, who said she and classmates wanted schools to be places of "shelter, dignity, and compassion." Jaylene Kihela Palma, another Ramapo senior and a leader in a teen activist project, told the board parents and students are afraid to leave home and urged the district to develop clear procedures and to share those procedures widely with families. "Students should never have to choose between their safety and their education," she said.

Interim Superintendent Velusco responded that building- and central-office administrators have received professional development and that a written guidance sheet has been shared with school leaders. "There's a lot that we can do to protect you in the schools, but there is a limit to what we can do, especially once you're off school grounds," Velusco said, adding the district would consider developing a formal policy and use existing communication channels, including a family university, for outreach.

Trustees acknowledged the students' requests and said the board would review possibilities with legal counsel and with state guidance. Trustee comments at the meeting emphasized the need for transparency about what the district can and cannot do under state law. One trustee pointed board members to New York State guidelines protecting student safety against immigration enforcement and offered to circulate them to the group.

The students asked for specifics: a policy to protect personal information, limits on sharing data except where legally required, expanded English-language and counseling supports, and a clear reporting mechanism for bullying or discrimination. Several student speakers also noted activism earlier in the school year, including a walkout protesting immigration enforcement, and said the district should ensure that staff take complaints seriously and investigate promptly.

The board did not adopt a formal policy at the meeting. Instead, Velusco and trustees said they would research options, consult legal counsel and state guidance, and return with proposals and outreach plans to inform families about district practices. The board also agreed to make communications about existing training and guidance available to the public.