Immigration advocates have raised concerns about a new policy that had been introduced by the Oakdale Joint Unified School District (OJUSD) clarifying the district’s immigration enforcement guidelines.
The district is updating its policy for how staff communicate and share information with local and federal officials regarding the immigration status of parents and students. It also outlines guidelines on what staff should do if immigration enforcement were to arrive on campus. The policy emphasizes that staff cannot impede or interfere with any officers conducting immigration enforcement.
The discussion comes amid widespread operations by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Minneapolis and communities nationwide, including here in California.
The document was first introduced at the last OJUSD Board of Trustees meeting Jan. 12, but changes have been made to the proposed language in advance of the next meeting on Feb. 2.
The original policy that was introduced deleted some language that could help community members in need, according to parents and immigrant advocates. That included the removal of the statement, “(The Governing Board) believes that every school site should be a safe and welcoming place for all students and their families irrespective of their citizenship or immigration status.”
Another originally deleted line was, “The Superintendent or designee may refer a student or the student’s family members to other resources for assistance, including, but not limited to, an U.S. Immigrant and Customs Enforcement detainee locator, legal assistance, or the consulate or embassy of the parent/guardian’s country of origin.”
After the first reading of a new immigration policy Jan. 12, OJUSD reinserted both statements into the language. Their initial deletion had raised concerns among some community members. The board agenda for its upcoming Feb. 2 meeting now includes the original policy language and will go before the OJUSD Board of Trustees for another first read Monday.
The final policy will be voted on by the full board at its following meeting March 9.
Noe Paramo, director of the Sustainable Rural Communities Project with the California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation (CRLAF), said he noticed some troubling aspects of the OJUSD’s original policy with the deleted language, and emphasized an importance for supporting immigrant families right now.
“This is of critical importance to students and families up and down the Valley, because of the fear and concern with immigration enforcement, particularly interior immigration enforcement, and for our community where our farm workers live and work and provide to the economy,” Paramo said.
These changes come ahead of a March 1 deadline that the California School Board Association (CSBA) and the Attorney General put in place as part of provisions to the state’s education code that were introduced a year ago in Jan. 2025. This Education Code says that all local education agencies must update their immigration enforcement policies to reflect the same policies laid out by the California Attorney General in his “Promoting a Safe and Secure Learning Environment for All” document, which offers guidance and model policies for immigration enforcement purposes. OJUSD’s policy now, after its second revision,mirrors that of the attorney general.
Tracey Jakubowski, the Assistant Superintendent of Pupil Services at OJUSD, said in an email that the policy is still under review for changes, and that the district cares for their students.
“OJUSD is very committed to providing a learning environment that is a safe space for all students, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity or immigration status,” Jakubowski said.
Ximena Loeza is the bilingual communities reporter for The Modesto Focus, a project of the nonprofit Central Valley Journalism Collaborative. Contact her at ximena@cvlocaljournalism.org.
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