Boston Public Schools overhauls guidelines on how staff should handle federal immigration agents

The policy now extends to when children are on field trips, offering guidance for bus drivers and chaperones. It also provides a new checklist for staff to follow if a student’s parent is detained or deported. The 36-page document titled “protecting all students” was distributed to school leaders in March and provided upon request to the Globe.

The guidelines advise what staff should do if federal agents attempt to enter a school, which has not happened in Boston since President Trump retook office last January, according to schools spokesperson Sujata Wycoff. The policy also describes resources to support students in the aftermath of an encounter with immigration officials.

“Immigrant families contribute to the rich fabric of our community, with schools in particular playing a significant role in helping immigrant students adapt and thrive in their new neighborhoods,” the guidelines state. The document cited the US Supreme Court’s 1982 decision Plyler v. Doe and said that Boston Public Schools remained committed “to give every student the right to the same free public education as their peers, no matter any student’s immigrant status.”

Many teachers and advocates have welcomed the new guidelines, calling them a crucial step in the right direction as the immigration crackdown stokes fear of family separations. Some want the city to go a step further and protect students when agents are lingering near schools, especially during arrival and dismissal.

“These guidelines are a great start, but I want us to continue to be brave so that students feel comfortable to come to school and to leave school,” said Nora Paul-Schultz, a physics teacher at the John D. O’Bryant School of Mathematics and Science. The guidelines directed staff to continue drop-off and pick-up procedures for students “as you normally would.”

“At dismissal, we have about 1,500 students leaving the building at once,” Paul-Schultz said.

“If ICE is parked outside, what’s happening while you’re checking [with the legal department]?” Paul-Schultz said that if immigration agents congregate outside a school, she believes the building should go into lockdown until leaders can ensure students are able to leave school safely. Each school should have its own plan, she said, based on unique needs of a facility, the age of students, and whether they take the T or get picked up by their families.

The guidelines state that individual schools can develop additional protocols as long as they are consistent with the city’s guidance and approved by the legal department. Diana Santiago, an attorney and legal director of the nonprofit Massachusetts Advocates for Children, was pleased with the guidelines’ emphasis on parent notification in the event that immigration agents go to a school seeking information or access to a particular student. School leaders must notify the student’s family or an emergency contact immediately.

The guidelines make a clear statement to families that Boston Public Schools are “concerned for their safety and want to provide the support that they can,” Santiago said.

“That recognition of the devastating impact of being separated from a parent, having a parent suddenly taken away from a student, that is going to impact that student deeply, including in the school setting.” Santiago, however, expressed apprehension about drop-off and pick-up.

She said schools should be flexible with their policies when agents are outside of buildings as children arrive and leave school. The guidelines say that if a federal agent approaches a school without a judicial warrant, court order, or subpoena, school leaders should tell the officer they are not authorized to enter the building. If they have such documents, school staff should ask the agent to wait while the school’s lawyer is contacted.

If a student is arrested, staff are not allowed to physically impede or interfere with a federal agent, but they are allowed to inform a student of their rights, including that they can ask for an attorney and refuse to sign documents. After such incidents, school leaders must contact the school district’s leadership, hold meetings with staff to share information and eliminate rumors, and work to reduce students’ stress and trauma by offering activities such as artwork and music.

In February, Wu and leaders from the largest cities in Greater Boston moved to prohibit immigration agents from using city property as a staging area for their actions and ban federal officials from detaining people on municipal property. At the time, a spokesperson for the Trump administration criticized Wu’s executive order.

In a letter to families in March, Superintendent Mary Skipper encouraged parents to contact the school system’s helpline with questions or concerns.

“Every day, you entrust us with the care of our more than 46,000 students and our focus must remain on educating our students inclusive of immigration status, their race or ethnicity, the language they speak, or the area of the city they live,” Skipper wrote.

“We will continue to ensure that all BPS schools remain safe and welcoming spaces.” Marcela Rodrigues can be reached at marcela.rodrigues@globe.com.