Dear Novato Unified School District Community,
On Tuesday, the Trump administration rescinded the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and will phase it out over the next six (6) months, leaving the fates of Dreamers in the hands of Congress. DACA allows children who arrived in the U.S. without documentation to stay and either attend school or work in the United States as long as they meet certain guidelines. DACA was intended to provide temporary protections to our most vulnerable community members until Congress took action on a more comprehensive immigration bill, which never happened. Although Congress again has time to act, we know many of our students and staff currently face uncertainty which causes stress and anxiety.
Dreamers are our students, friends, neighbors and community members. To put our students and our own staff members in such a perilous and unstable situation on a daily basis is unconscionable and cruel. I want our entire community to know that the Novato Unified School District welcomes ALL students and families, regardless of their immigration status, and we are here to educate EVERY student who comes to our schools.
On behalf of our Board, our teachers and staff, we want the students affected by this week’s news to know that we support you. All NUSD students have full access to our schools and are protected from pressures and intrusive actions that would disrupt or impair their education. The District complies with all Federal and State laws governing the privacy of student records including the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Our Board of Education’s Resolution #19-2016-2017 makes all our campuses a safe zone for students and families threatened by immigration enforcement.
Tuesday afternoon, many members of our NUSD community attended a special meeting hosted by the Marin County Office of Education on DACA. Our partners at Canal Alliance, Canal Welcome Center, Marin Community Foundation and others presented on the details of the announcement. Please see the key information below, as well as a link to the video from the event and other resources. We will be sharing this information widely. Furthermore, today and in the coming days, teams of educators in our schools are meeting with affected students to learn how we can better support them.
We remain deeply committed to all our students and will do everything we can to ensure their success and safety. Thank you for your support and partnership.
Sincerely,
Jim Hogeboom
Superintendent
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FOLLOW-UP FROM MARIN COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION EVENT ON DACA
Resources from Canal Alliance and Partners
Summary of Key Information Points from Canal Alliance
- As of September 5, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will not be accepting any initial DACA applications.
- DHS will not terminate currently existing grants of deferred action, nor will they revoke current work permits (EAD) because of this announcement.
- If an initial DACA request was accepted by DHS on or before September 5, the request will still be processed. Any initial requests received after this date will be rejected.
- If a DACA renewal request was accepted by DHS before September 5, the request will still be processed.
- If someone is currently a DACA beneficiary whose benefits (deferred action and a work permit) expire between September 5, 2017, and March 5, 2018, they should file a renewal request before October 5, 2017. No renewal requests will be accepted beyond that date.
- No new applications for advance parole associated with DACA will be approved, and any currently pending applications for advance parole associated with DACA will be closed. However, currently valid advance parole periods associated with DACA should be honored, although Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) retains its usual discretionary power about whether or not to grant admission.
Event Recording
The event was recorded via Facebook Live and is available on Canal Alliance’s Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/CanalAlliance.SanRafael/
Local SRCS Partners
- Canal Alliance: 415-454-2640, www.canalalliance.org, 91 Larkspur St.
- Parent Services Project: 415-454-1870, www.parentservices.org, 79 Belvedere St.
- Canal Welcome Center: 415-526-2486, www.cwcenter.org, 30 N San Pedro Rd. #250
Other Resources