By Staff
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal. (AP Photo/Rachel La Corte)
Washington’s Superintendent Chris Reykdal has released guidance for schools to proactively protect immigrant students, following President Donald Trump’s decision to target immigrant communities. The president has targeted immigrants through a suite of executive orders, including one meant to end birthright citizenship, which a federal judge today called “blatantly unconstitutional,” in his issuance of a temporary restraining order on the ruling.
Washington is among the 22 states that have sued the Trump administration over the order.
The guidance from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) is meant to provide school districts across Washington state with clearly stated requirements regarding student privacy, access to educational services, and immigration enforcement on school campuses.
“We are receiving a lot of questions and concerns from schools, families, legislators, community members, and other partners,” Reykdal said in a press release on the matter. “As we monitor the actions of the new federal administration, I want to be clear: Washington state is and will remain a state that is unequivocally committed to supporting all of our students and their families.”
The press release said that OSPI “is aware of reports from other states of schools being used to detain and/or identify undocumented students. OSPI is trying to determine the validity of these reports and whether this practice is happening in Washington state.”