Our mission is to positively impact the lives of ALL children and families.
California State PTA believes every child deserves to attend school in an environment that is truly safe — and that means more than freedom from physical danger. It means freedom from fear of danger. A school that works for every child must be free from gun violence, bullying, harassment and discrimination, and online threats. It must support students’ mental health and emotional well-being, offer safe routes to and from school, and protect children from abuse and exploitation. And it must be a place where immigrant children and families — like all families — can engage with their schools without fear. Each of those links leads to additional California State PTA resources on these issues.
California State PTA works across all of these dimensions because we know that safe schools and safe communities are inseparable. When children are safe, supported, and free from fear — at school, on the way there, and in the neighborhoods where they live — every student has a better chance to learn, grow, and thrive. This page focuses specifically on immigration enforcement in and near California schools — a threat that escalated sharply after the federal administration rescinded the longstanding sensitive locations policy in January 2025, which had previously protected schools, houses of worship, and hospitals from immigration enforcement. Take action to support the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act (S. 455/H.R. 1061).
California State PTA: Statements and Legislative Action
California State PTA has responded to the escalating threat of immigration enforcement in schools through both public statements and active support for state legislation. Together, these efforts reflect our belief that schools must be safe spaces for learning where every child can thrive — not places of fear. When immigration enforcement occurs at or near schools — particularly involving masked or unidentified agents — the impacts extend far beyond immigrant families and affect the entire school community:
- Decreasing attendance and parent/guardian participation across the entire school community, undermining the family engagement that is essential to student success
- Disrupting classroom learning and concentration for every student, regardless of immigration status
- Reducing school funding tied to attendance, which impacts resources for all children
- Creating trauma and anxiety that can spread throughout the school environment — a harm that California State PTA co-sponsored legislation SB 98 addresses by requiring schools to notify parents, guardians, teachers, and staff when immigration enforcement is confirmed on campus
- Undermining children’s fundamental trust in the safety and security of their learning spaces — the core problem that California State PTA co-sponsored legislation AB 49, the California Safe Haven Schools Act, addresses by prohibiting immigration enforcement officers from entering school or child care sites without a valid judicial warrant
- Separating children from parents and caregivers without a plan — a crisis that AB 495, the Family Preparedness Plan Act (supported by California State PTA, signed into law October 2025) addresses by helping families designate trusted caregivers in advance and requiring schools to keep updated emergency contact information for every student
Read our statements on immigration enforcement and safe schools:
- California State PTA Supports All Children and Families (January 2025)
- California State PTA Statement on Immigration Enforcement in Schools (September 2025)
Guide for Local PTA Leaders
(September 2025): California State PTA’s guidance document for local PTAs responding to immigration enforcement in or near schools. This essential resource covers everything from collaboration guidelines to ready-to-use statement templates.
Complete Resource Includes:
- Collaboration Guidelines: How to work with school districts and coordinate messaging
- 4 Ready-to-Use Statement Templates: Pre-written statements for different situations
- Communication Process: Step-by-step guidance for PTA statements and social media
- Resources and Information: California and federal protections, know-your-rights materials
- Multi-Language Resources: Materials in Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Tagalog, Vietnamese
- Current Legislation: 2025 proposed bills and federal advocacy opportunities
- Do’s and Don’ts: Clear guidance on PTA authority and limitations
Download the full September 2025 California State PTA Advice: Immigration Enforcement Near Schools PDF below.
“Know Your Rights: Creating a Family Plan” — A Resource for Immigrant Families and Their Supporters
At LegCon26, California State PTA was honored to feature Sharon Cartagena, Directing Attorney for Child, Youth & Family Advocacy at Public Counsel. Sharon’s presentation — “Creating a Family Plan: What Immigrant Parents and Their Supporters Need to Know” — arrives at a pivotal moment, as AB 495, the Family Preparedness Plan Act, has just gone into effect, giving California families important new legal tools, including expanded access to joint guardianship. Her session brings that new law to life, offering the kind of clear, practical guidance that immigrant families and the communities that support them urgently need right now. She cuts through widespread misinformation on everything from which legal documents actually protect children to short- and long-term planning options under California law, including the new joint guardianship provisions made possible by AB 495. We recorded her presentation and posted it here so that PTAs, schools, and community organizations across the state can share these critical resources widely.
Bring This Presentation to Your Community
Public Counsel’s Immigrants’ Rights Project offers free Know Your Rights presentations for community members. To request a presentation for your local PTA or school community, visit publiccounsel.org/kyr-immigration-resources/ or call (213) 385-2977 — press Ext. 600 for English or Ext. 601 for Español.
Take Action: Contact Congress Now
National PTA and California State PTA are calling on the federal government to immediately restore protections for educational settings. Your elected representatives need to hear from constituents who believe schools must remain safe spaces for learning. The time for action is now. Every day we delay is another day children lose access to the fear-free education fundamental to their development and our country’s future.
Join us to Demand that Congress:
- Immediately restore protections for schools, pickup/drop-off zones, and school bus stops
- Guarantee safe access to education without fear of enforcement consequences
- Protect student confidentiality and prohibit sharing educational records
- Require proper identification and transparency from law enforcement near schools
- End enforcement actions that create fear and trauma affecting all students
page last updated: February 2026