Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Campus Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
El Rancho Unified says staff followed protocols after ICE vehicles parked at Salazar campus; board seeks documentation
Summary
District staff said they followed closed-campus protocols after ICE vehicles were observed at Salazar, asking agents to leave and notifying counsel and school police; trustees asked for weekly community updates, translated notices and directed staff to consider a letter to DHS documenting the incident.
El Rancho Unified told the board on June 17 that district staff promptly followed safety protocols after immigration enforcement vehicles were observed parked at Salazar campus earlier that day.
In a prepared statement read during the superintendent’s report, the district said: "Immigration and Customs Enforcement vehicles were observed parked at Salazar Campus. District staff immediately followed established safety protocols. Our teammate directed contact with the individuals in the vehicles, informed them that they are not permitted on school grounds, and directed them to leave the property. The individuals complied, and the vehicles departed the area." The superintendent said staff met with site principals to reinforce protocols following the incident.
Legal counsel and trustees described written protocols: verify an agent’s purpose and credentials, require a judicial warrant for access, and, if staff are uncertain, reject access and contact legal counsel and school police. Counsel said parents and the board would be notified and that students could be held on campus until a guardian could pick them up for safety.
Trustees urged additional steps to reassure families. Trustee Esther Mejia thanked staff for acting quickly and asked whether a soft lockdown or gate closures could be used when activity is reported; district staff said gates were closed at all campuses and additional signage and communications were being prepared. Trustee Arlene Perez recommended publishing the protocols on the district website and using social media to reach families; staff confirmed there is a website section with the district policy and that communications were being updated in English and Spanish.
Legal counsel offered to prepare a formal, board-directed letter to federal authorities documenting the incident and the district’s concerns; trustees indicated they wanted the letter to copy local legislators and the county superintendent. The board also requested recurring communications to the community while such activity continues and additional mental-health supports for students affected by the stress of enforcement activity.
District officials reiterated that summer school would continue as scheduled and encouraged families to contact the district for legal and mental-health resources that staff had compiled and vetted.
