By Maria Gardner
The San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD) has partnered with San Antonio Rise (SA Rise), an organization of teachers, school officials and community members, to present a handbook for parents and the community on how Texas Senate Bill 4 (SB4) will be applied in the school district.
At the press conference, SAISD Board President Patti Radle said, “School districts do not fall under SB4.”
The handbook does not create new policy but provides an explanation of how SAISD, including district police officers, understand the law in relation to the district, she said.
In an interview, Radle said, “Our stand is that we are not going to be collecting or sharing information regarding the status of our students.”
watch the bilingual video and scroll down for more details
Several speakers said the handbook is a work in progress and the district encourages feedback and suggestions from the community.
Immigrants’ rights advocates noted some concerns but expressed optimism regarding the district’s openness to implementing changes to the handbook.
In addition to hearing from the superintendent and District Police Chief José Curiel, teachers share why the education of immigration youth matters.
More about Senate Bill 4:
Senate Bill 4 allows local law enforcement officials to inquire about the immigration status of people they detain or arrest, and penalizes local officials for voicing opposition to the law and creating policy designed to curtail law enforcement officials’ ability to enact the law.
Signed in May 2017, SB4 saw a swift response, with various civil rights organizations,, immigrants’ rights groups, and cities across Texas, including San Antonio, suing the state in a joint lawsuit in opposition to the law.
Concerns were expressed that that the law would constitute racial profiling of immigrants and force law enforcement personnel to do the work of immigration officers.
According to My Statesman, in March 2018, a ruling from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals “allows the state to continue enforcing the law.”
The law continues to be challenged in the courts and is likely to reach the Supreme Court, according to My Statesman (https://www.mystatesman.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/appeals-court-allows-sanctuary-cities-ban-stand/ddZcAcHrC0LnmeCuIx3koM/)