Skip to main content
California Department of Education Logo
California Department of Education
Official Letter
California Department of Education
Official Letter
January 21, 2025

Dear County and District Superintendents and Charter School Administrators:

Reminder of Obligation to Protect Immigrant Families’ Rights to Access Public Education

All children in the United States, regardless of immigration or citizenship status, have a right to a free and appropriate public education.

In response to requests for information and support from local educational agencies (LEAs), the California Department of Education (CDE) is sharing resources to preserve access to education for students from immigrant families during times of increased fear of immigration enforcement.

According to data gathered by the Urban Institute, approximately half of California’s students are members of immigrant families, in which one or more parents are immigrants. One in five children in California are members of mixed-status families, in which one or more parents are undocumented. Ninety-three percent of those students are United States citizens.

Educators across California’s diverse LEAs may benefit from reviewing the resources below, which collect existing guidance about California state laws governing the protection of immigrant students and families.

The CDE encourages all LEAs to review and update their policies, or to adopt policies if not yet adopted, in accordance with the guidance below to ensure that they are providing safe learning environments for all students.

Specifically, LEAs should review their student enrollment, residency, and data-collection policies and practices to ensure that they comply with federal and state laws and to safeguard against inadvertently discouraging undocumented students or students from mixed-status families from enrolling in or attending school.

Staff should receive training on these policies and procedures. Staff should be advised that during the student enrollment process LEAs must verify students’ ages and residency in the district. However, school districts need not and should not ask about the citizenship or immigration status of students or their parents or guardians for the purpose of establishing in-district residency.

California law further bars LEAs from collecting or soliciting Social Security numbers from students or their parents or guardians, unless otherwise required to do so by state or federal law. (EC 49076.7[b])

Further, state law directs LEA governing boards to adopt policies that limit classroom interruptions. LEAs may adopt policies that limit access to school sites and questioning of students for immigration enforcement purposes because such activities, and threats of such activities, interfere with classroom learning (EC 32212, 35160).

Together, we will ensure that all families feel welcome on our campuses and that students feel supported to attend school. An appendix of statewide resources is attached at the end of this letter for use by educators as needed and appropriate.

For access to continuously updated resources about welcoming and supporting immigrant families, please see the CDE’s Safe Havens web page: https://www.cde.ca.gov/eo/in/safehavens.asp.

Sincerely,

David Schapira
Chief Deputy Superintendent
California Department of Education

Appendix: Statewide Resources

Northern California

Social/Emotional Support
  • Centro Legal de la Raza
    • Services Offered: Provides mental health workshops for immigrant families, counseling referrals, and legal support.
    • Address: 3400 E. 12th Street, Oakland, CA 94601
    • Phone: 510-437-1554
    • Website: https://www.centrolegal.org
  • La Clínica de La Raza
    • Services Offered: Provides behavioral health services and counseling support for students and families dealing with trauma and stress.
    • Address: Multiple locations in the Bay Area
    • Phone: 510-535-4000
    • Website: https://laclinica.org
  • Bay Area Community Resources (BACR)
    • Services Offered: Offers mental health and case management services to students and families experiencing deportation fears.
    • Address: 171 Carlos Drive, San Rafael, CA 94903
    • Phone: 415-444-5580
    • Website: https://www.bacr.org/
  • Catholic Charities of San Francisco
    • Services Offered: Provides counseling services, family case management, and emotional support.
    • Address: 990 Eddy Street, San Francisco, CA 94109
    • Phone: 415-972-1200
    • Website: https://catholiccharitiessf.org/
Legal Services
  • Asian Law Caucus
    • Services Offered: Free immigration legal representation, deportation defense, and community workshops.
    • Address: 55 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94111
    • Phone: 415-896-1701
    • Website: https://www.advancingjustice-alc.org/
  • Immigration Institute of the Bay Area (IIBA)
    • Services Offered: Legal services, community outreach, and Know Your Rights workshops.
    • Address: 657 Mission Street, Suite 301, San Francisco, CA 94105
    • Phone: 415-538-8100
    • Website: https://iibayarea.org/

Central California

Social/Emotional Support
  • Clinica Sierra Vista
    • Services Offered: Behavioral health support, counseling, and trauma services for families.
    • Address: Multiple locations in Bakersfield and Fresno
    • Phone: 661-635-3050
    • Website: https://www.clinicasierravista.org/
  • Raices Cultura (Coachella Valley)
    • Services Offered: Cultural and emotional support programs, including mental health support.
    • Address: 1494 Sixth Street, Coachella, CA 92236
    • Phone: 760-398-3560
    • Website: https://www.raicescultura.org/
  • Central Valley Family Therapy
    • Services Offered: Counseling and mental health support for families experiencing immigration stress.
    • Address: 7170 N. Financial Dr., Fresno, CA 93720
    • Phone: 559-691-6840
    • Website: https://centralvalleyfamilytherapy.com/
Legal Services
  • California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA)
    • Services Offered: Free legal assistance to low-income families, including immigration-related issues.
    • Address: Various locations across Central California
    • Phone: 800-337-0690
    • Website: https://www.crla.org/

Southern California

Social/Emotional Support
  • Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA)
    • Services Offered: Mental health workshops, counseling support, and community advocacy.
    • Address: 2533 W. 3rd Street, Suite 101, Los Angeles, CA 90057
    • Phone: 213-353-1333
    • Email: info@chirla.org
    • Website: https://chirla.org/
  • The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health
    • Services Offered: Emotional health services for immigrant students through LAUSD schools.
    • Address: 333 S. Beaudry Avenue, 18th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90017
    • Phone: 213-241-3511
    • Website: https://thelatrust.org/
  • San Diego Social Advocates for Youth (SAY)
Legal Services
  • Public Counsel
    • Services Offered: Free immigration legal aid, including asylum and deportation defense.
    • Address: 610 S. Ardmore Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90005
    • Phone: 213-385-2977
    • Website: https://publiccounsel.org
  • Immigrant Defenders Law Center
    • Services Offered: Deportation defense and legal aid for minors and families.
    • Address: 634 S. Spring Street, 10th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90014
    • Phone: 213-634-0999
    • Website: https://www.immdef.org
  • San Diego Rapid Response Network
Last Reviewed: Wednesday, January 22, 2025

Recently Posted in Transforming Schools: Superintendent’s Initiatives

  • Immigrant's Rights to Access Public Education (added 22-Jan-2025)
    Letter from the California Department of Education, which reminds LEAs of their obligation to protect immigrant families’ rights to access public education.