WHEN YOU HAVE TO PREPARE CHILDREN FOR POSSIBLE INTERROGATION BY A FEDERAL AGENT

Last month, I surveyed some of my erstwhile teacher peers about any new protocols the school district might adopt resulting from the Orange Don stripping schools of their protected status. It wasn’t long before I started hearing from concerned teachers.

Most of what I’ve heard has come from teachers within my districts. Some of my peers in other Florida districts have confirmed similar policies. In short, if an ICE agent shows up at the school with a lawful order, the school administrators are to comply. This makes sense.

Then the information became disconcerting. I started hearing from teachers that ICE would be allowed, if they requested, to interrogate children without an adult advocate in the room. In fact, ICE could even request that administrators NOT CONTACT PARENTS until after the interrogation. This has been confirmed by local news reports Here, Here.

Unofficially, I’ve also heard from local teachers, especially social studies teachers, who have been ordered NOT to teach students about their Constitutional rights to remain silent.

When I heard that, I published an explainer on Mr. A’s Underground Classroom. The post went viral, indicating a deep concern about this topic. Maddie Stewart, the leader of a local public school activist group called The Purple Group, asked me if I could distil the main points of the post into an easy to access card for students.

I did so, creating a script for students 6th grade or older who might find themselves facing an interrogation at the hands of law enforcement. Furthermore, the card instructs kids to remain calm, to assert their rights appropriately by saying, “I want my parents. I want a lawyer.” I then translated to the best of my meager ability into Spanish, Haitian Creole, and Brazilian Portuguese.

Through Maddie’s efforts, the scripts have caught on and have received some media attention. Here is the interview I did with WGCU reporter Cary Barbor. I will be doing another interview with the local Fox News affiliate tomorrow. I’ll keep you posted.

---

Student Rights Cards help prepare youth for possible interrogation

Fear is spreading through immigrant communities, as federal raids ramp up under the Trump administration. Some people may not be aware that everyone in the United States has civil rights, no matter their immigration status. It’s important for people who may be stopped to know those rights…

Click Here to read the rest of the article.

For mor information on how to protect immigrant children’s rights, Click Here.