Sanctuary Schools Campaign

Being a “sanctuary school” means a school district is committed to protecting students from immigration enforcement in and through schools. Sanctuary school policies protect the constitutional right of access to education for immigrant students and students impacted by immigration because many immigrant families fear sending their children to school due to potential enforcement actions. These policies provide assurance to immigrant families that in accordance with federal and California law, their schools are safe places that will not cooperate with federal immigration authorities in their efforts to identify, detain, or deport a student or their family members.

To check whether your school district has a sanctuary school policy, you can search your district website using terms like “response to immigration enforcement,” “immigration status,” or similar terms. If your school does not have a policy or it is outdated (under AB 49, policies should be last updated March 1, 2026), then you can advocate for your district to pass a strong policy.

The following resources can be used to advocate for sanctuary policies in your school district and educate yourselves about the right of students to be provided with an educational environment that is safe and welcoming regardless of the student’s race, ethnicity, national origin, immigration status, religion, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability.

• ACLUs of California Model Sanctuary Board Policy
• You can use this policy to identify any gaps your school’s current policy may have. We encourage you to share this model policy with your school district board members so they can use it to strengthen their own policy.
• Detailed guide on how to use the ACLU Model Sanctuary Board Policy (and other policies!) here.
• ACLUs of California Model Sanctuary School Board Policy (español)
• Detailed guide on how to use these model polices here (español).
• ACLU SoCal Know Your Rights: Immigration & Students
• ACLU SoCal Know Your Rights: Immigration & Students (español)
• ACLU SoCal Protecting Students from Harmful Immigration Enforcement in California K-12 Public Schools
• ACLU SoCal Parents and Student School Board Advocacy Toolkit
• Public Counsel Newcomer Students Education Rights
• Promoting a Safe and Secure Learning Environment for All: Guidance and Model Policies to Assist California’s TK-12 Schools in Responding to Requests for Access and Information for Immigration Enforcement Purposes
• We Have Rights - easy to understand videos about your rights if you encounter immigration agents, available in seven languages including Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Haitian-Creole, Russian, and Urdu.
• Immigrants Are Los Angeles Immigration Resources Hub

• ICE activity on K-12 school grounds (February 2, 2026)

• Long Beach schools just told ICE to stay away from their students (May 8, 2025)

• ACLU SoCal Partners With Alvord Unified To Bring Know Your Rights Presentations To Community (March 24, 2025)

• Now is the Time for California Families and Communities to Advocate for Strong Sanctuary Policies in K-12 Schools (April 14, 2018)

• ACLU Applauds Coachella Valley School Board Sanctuary Policy: Strongest Sanctuary School Policy Approved in State (September 26, 2017)

• ACLU of California Statement on Riverside Unified Sanctuary Policy (September 19, 2017)

Your school district policy should:

• Affirm the district’s commitment to providing an inclusive, welcoming, and safe learning environment for all students, including immigrant students and their families.

• Restrict immigration agents’ access to school sites or students and require a valid judicial warrant and subpoena if access is requested.

• Protect the confidentiality of sensitive information about students and their families through policies that prohibit information with law enforcement, including federal immigration authorities to the fullest extent possible under law.

• Prohibit school police from collaborating with federal immigration authorities for the purpose of immigration enforcement.

• Have a plan to implement the policy, including ensuring all teachers and staff are trained on the policy.

• Provide resources and information for immigrant students and their families and create partnerships with community organizations to support students.

Visit myschoolmyrights.com for general information about students' rights in California.