State Superintendent Tony Thurmond Presents Immigration Bill Challenging Enforcement on School Grounds, Promotes Expansion of Dual Language Immersion Programs

SACRAMENTO—Amid growing fear and tension among immigrant families and advocates nationwide, California Department of Education (CDE) State Superintendent Tony Thurmond presented a bill, Senate Bill 48 (Gonzalez), that will limit the presence of ICE agents on school campuses. Also today, Superintendent Thurmond hosted a webinar to promote the expansion of Dual Language Immersion (DLI) programs across California, affirming the importance of preparing students to succeed, compete, and lead in a multilingual, global economy.

SB 48, authored by Senate Majority Leader Lena Gonzalez (D-33), is sponsored by Thurmond to address safety concerns of immigrant families and protect school funding that is projected to decline in some parts of the state as attendance is suppressed as undocumented individuals fear deportation consequences at school. The bill is in direct protest to President Trump’s threats to lead mass deportation efforts at schools and houses of worship.

“We know that the fearmongering happening across our nation has disruptive impacts on children in our immigrant families, and it could cost California schools millions of dollars,” Thurmond said. California is one of a handful of states that still uses an average daily attendance system for attributing funding or the loss of funding to schools.

Approximately half of all students in California are members of immigrant families, in which at least one parent is an immigrant. One in five students in California live in mixed-status families, in which one or more parents are undocumented.

“All California children deserve safe school environments that prioritize student learning, regardless of immigration status,” said Senate Majority Leader Lena Gonzalez. “As Chair of the California Latino Legislative Caucus, I’m proud to be partnering with Superintendent Tony Thurmond to author this important legislation, which will prevent disruptions to student learning, keep children in school, and prevent families from being torn apart.”

Thurmond has called on federal policymakers to create a path to citizenship where undocumented immigrants, who are estimated to generate billions in state revenue through earnings, can take on hard-to-fill jobs and pay into the tax system. Thurmond and the California Department of Education are leading numerous efforts to push back on Trump policies and executive orders, including leading a plan to block the elimination of the U.S. Department of Education.

SB 48 was heard on Wednesday, April 2, in the California Senate Education Committee. A recording of the Superintendent’s testimony on April 2 is available on the California State Senate Media Archive web page .

Also on Wednesday, and also in recognition of California’s uniquely multicultural, multilingual population, Superintendent Thurmond hosted a webinar to promote the expansion of DLI programs. DLI programs have shown to be an effective strategy for increasing student achievement and increasing enrollment in public schools. Parents have shown increasing enthusiasm for DLI and other multilingual learning opportunities, and multiple DLI schools have recently been awarded recognition as 2025 California Distinguished Schools, a distinction reserved for the highest performing schools in California and those closing achievement gaps most rapidly.

More information about Superintendent Thurmond’s initiatives can be found on the CDE Transforming Schools: Superintendent’s Initiatives web page.

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Tony Thurmond — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5602, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100