Students and community urge New Haven Unified to declare a sanctuary district, cite fear and gaps in protections

Hundreds of students, parents and community advocates told the New Haven Unified School District board on April 21 that the district should adopt a sanctuary‑district resolution and publicly post clear protections and protocols for families and staff.

The most sustained portion of public comment came from students and organizers with the Ethnic Studies & Social Justice Academy (ESSJ), who urged the board to make protections visible and to expand staff training. “When I personally searched the NHUSD website, I could not find clear and publicly accessible information outlining these protections,” said student speaker Elijah Nuin, who urged the board to adopt a formal resolution to ensure policies are accessible to non‑English speakers.

Why it matters: speakers said the district’s population includes many families who fear immigration enforcement, which affects attendance, engagement and learning. Multiple speakers cited local survey results gathered by student groups: from a sample of 232 students, nearly 40% said they felt the highest level of fear about ICE presence; more than half of students reported they did not know whether they had access to resources; students’ surveys also found 98% of staff reported significant fear about ICE in the Bay Area and only 4.9% felt completely protected by district policies. “When students are afraid … silence does not protect us,” said parent and teacher Erica Veras Santos, invoking San Leandro’s experience adopting sanctuary protections.

Claims and context: commenters repeatedly argued that sanctuary‑district declarations are legal and can improve clarity and accountability rather than increase enforcement risk. Student speaker Elijah Nuin referenced federal litigation that blocked funding penalties for sanctuary jurisdictions, saying courts have protected local jurisdictions from some federal enforcement sanctions. Several speakers asked for practical steps the district can take now: publish multilingual "know your rights" materials, create a clear web page of protections, and require or expand staff training on how to respond if ICE appears on or near campuses.

Board response and next steps: trustees and staff thanked student speakers and said they would take the concerns under advisement. Trustees voiced support for making existing protections easier to find and for further discussion; however, the board did not take a vote to adopt a sanctuary resolution at the April 21 meeting. Staff indicated they would report back with options (including potential policy language and outreach plans) and noted the district’s existing policies and limits of local authority.

The public‑comment block provided the board with survey data and multiple anecdotal incidents for staff to vet; the board scheduled follow‑up work and did not adopt a new policy tonight.