California schools get new immigration enforcement guidelines

To ensure schools throughout California are on the same page when it comes to dealing with immigration enforcement, Attorney General Rob Bonta has released updated guidance for schools to follow.

The updated guidelines are modeled after new laws signed by Governor Gavin Newsom earlier this year. Those laws were centered around keeping immigration enforcement away from school campuses and ensuring school officials know their rights when it comes to dealing with law enforcement.

“I know many California teachers and administrators are wondering how best to protect their students amid the Trump Administration’s indiscriminate, callous mass deportation campaign,” said Bonta in a statement. “California cannot interfere with federal immigration enforcement, but we can and have chosen not to assist with the President’s inhumane agenda.”

In the second Trump administration, Ice and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have routinely shown up near schools to carry out immigration enforcement operations.

In October, ICE was spotted near campus by a teacher at the Santee Education Complex in Los Angeles. After the teacher notified the school’s principal, the principal allegedly refused to take action.

Soon after, students at the predominantly-Latino school formed a protest against the principal’s lack-of-action and demanded more protections for students and families. A few days later, the school announced an interim principal would be taking over while a permanent principal was selected.

“We have a number of new laws on the books designed to protect the rights of California’s students to safely attend schools to the fullest extent allowable under the law,” said Bonta. “In California, our diversity is our strength, and we will continue to stand up for our immigrant communities in the face of relentless attacks from the federal government.”

The following recently-passed bills were reflected in Bonta’s updated guidance:

• Assembly Bill (AB) 49: Prohibits school and child care employees from entering a school or child care site for any reason without a valid judicial warrant. The bill was first introduced in December of 2024 by Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance);

• AB 419: Requires schools to provide “Know Your Educational Rights” guidance issued by Bonta. The guidance is to be provided for parents and guardians and posted in administrative buildings and online in various languages. AB 419 was introduced by Assemblymember Damon Connolly (D-San Rafael); and 

• AB 495: The Family Preparedness Act was signed into law in October and allows parents to nominate a temporary guardian to care for their children if the parent is detained. The bill also requires schools and child care facilities to implement the state’s guidance on family safety and privacy, and provide safety information to families. AB 495 was authored by Assemblymember Celeste Rodriguez (D-San Fernando).

School officials and employees are required under these new laws to prohibit immigration officers from entering school sites, unless they provide a valid judicial warrant, subpoena or court order.

School employees are also prohibited from sharing any information about students and fellow school employees, including immigration status, education records or household information, with ICE unless there is a valid warrant shown. 

Local educational agencies, including school districts, county offices of education and charter schools, are required to update existing policies to reflect the new requirements by March 1, 2026.