Board presses police on verifying federal immigration agents at campuses

Board members spent more than an hour pressing local law-enforcement leaders on how officers verify the identity and authority of federal agents who appear on or near school campuses.

"El Monte personnel must remain neutral, avoid direct involvement in immigration enforcement, and ensure that our actions are consistent with department policy, the law, and the safety of our community," said Captain George Mesa of the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department, reading departmental guidelines shared with trustees. Chief Jake Fisher of the El Monte Police Department and Mesa told the board deputies and officers will try to confirm an on-scene federal supervisor, request identification when possible, document encounters (including body-camera evidence) and notify supervisors, but said federal agencies sometimes do not provide advance notice.

Board President asked whether local officers would enforce state law that bars federal agents from entering nonpublic school areas without a judicial warrant; Mesa and Chief Fisher said their role is to ensure safety and to document the encounter, but neither agency will participate in civil immigration enforcement absent a clear officer-safety emergency. "If the individuals decline to identify themselves, EMPD personnel will observe from a safe distance and document," Mesa said in his presentation of department policy.

Trustees repeatedly pressed for stronger assurances that students would be protected if federal agents sought to enter classrooms or other restricted areas without court orders, citing incidents in other jurisdictions where people were detained after agents declined to identify themselves. Several trustees said the district should pursue a formal policy limiting federal use of school property and asked law enforcement to work with district counsel and with the sheriffs office to clarify how county and city ordinances would be enforced.

Law-enforcement officials acknowledged legal and jurisdictional limits and said they would consult county counsel about enforcement questions raised by the board. Trustees concluded the discussion by asking for follow-up briefings and clearer procedures for on-campus verification and communication between schools and responding officers.