Immigration Rights and Resources

The district complies with state and federal law, including Oregon Revised Statute (ORS) 180.805 and ORS 181.826, and this policy when responding to requests from federal immigration authorities regarding immigration enforcement. Absent a judicially authorized subpoena, warrant or court order, district staff must not allow federal immigration authorities access to the district’s records or facilities not open to the public for the purposes of immigration enforcement and must verify the validity of any subpoena, warrant or court order involving immigration enforcement presented to them by federal immigration authorities to ensure it is judicially authorized. Examples of judicial and administrative warrants and subpoenas can be found in the Oregon Attorney General’s Model Public School Policies. The superintendent or designee must review and approve any response to a request involving immigration enforcement. The district will provide ongoing training to designated staff to ensure compliance with this policy.

This policy will be made available in the student handbook and on the district’s website.

Designation of Primary Point of Contact

The superintendent is the primary point of contact for coordinating interactions with federal immigration authorities occurring in the district immigration liaison. The assistant superintendent shall serve as an alternative point of contact during the immigration liaison’s absence or unavailability (alternate immigration liaison).

The immigration liaison’s responsibilities include:

1. Serving as the district’s representative during encounters with federal immigration authorities;
2. Confirming when federal immigration authorities have entered school property for immigration enforcement purposes;
3. Ensuring federal immigration authorities engaging in enforcement activities at the district have notice of relevant district policies: JO/IGBAB – Education Records/Records of Students with Disabilities, JOA – Directory Information, JOB – Personally Identifiable Information and this policy;
4. Assisting staff in performing their duties in response to immigration enforcement efforts, including ensuring compliance with all district policies and procedures related to interactions with federal immigration authorities and immigration enforcement efforts;
5. Reviewing and responding to requests from federal immigration authorities, in coordination with, and under the direction of, the superintendent or designee;
6. Facilitating the district’s compliance with lawful immigration enforcement efforts in a manner that does not unnecessarily disrupt the school environment or invade the privacy of students, staff, or volunteers;
7. Providing notice as required in this policy when a federal immigration authority has been confirmed to have entered school property for immigration enforcement.

Required Notice

When a federal immigration authority is reported to have entered school property for the purpose of immigration enforcement, the immigration liaison shall confirm and, if true, shall provide notice as follows:

1. Notice must be provided to:
   1. Students who attend the school where the federal immigration authority is confirmed to be on school property for immigration enforcement and who are in grades 6 and above;
   2. Parents or guardians of students attending the school where the federal immigration authority is confirmed to be on school property for immigration enforcement;
   3. Staff of the school where the federal immigration authority is confirmed to be on school property for immigration enforcement; and
   4. Community-based service providers. Community-based service providers can request to be removed from such notifications by contacting the district office.
2. Notice must include:
   1. The general location of the federal immigration authority; and
   2. Whether classes or school operations were affected by the presence of the federal immigration authority.

Notice must not disclose:

3. Personally identifiable information;
4. Other information that may not be legally disclosed; or
5. Other information when the disclosure may threaten the health or safety of students or staff of the district or is prohibited by a court order.

The required notice will be provided as expediently as possible using existing methods used for providing electronic communications.

Unless otherwise prohibited by law or court order, the district will make reasonable efforts to notify a student, or the student’s parent or guardian when the district provides information about the student to a federal immigration authority.

Confidentiality of School Records

Except when required by a judicially authorized warrant, subpoena, or order, Oregon law prohibits the district from disclosing protected information to federal immigration authorities for the purpose of enforcing federal immigration laws. Protected information includes information relating to a person’s:

1. Address;
2. Workplace or hours of work;
3. School or school hours;
4. Contact information, including telephone number, electronic mail address or social media account information;
5. Known associates or relatives; and
6. Date, time or location of the person’s hearings, proceedings or appointments with a public body that are not matters of public record.

Oregon law also prohibits sharing any of the above information about a person’s relatives or known associates with federal authorities for immigration enforcement purposes.

Oregon law generally prohibits the district from sharing or disclosing citizenship or immigration status or country of birth information that the district collects, unless one of the following exceptions applies:

1. The disclosure is required by state or federal law (other than federal immigration law);
2. The disclosure is required by a judicially authorized warrant, order, or subpoena;
3. The information being shared with a person concerns only that person or their dependents; or
4. The information is aggregated and not personally identifiable.

In addition to the prohibitions described above, federal and state laws make records and information related to students confidential and permit disclosure only in limited circumstances. The district’s policies with respect to student records can be found in Board policies JO/IGBAB – Education Records/Records of Students with Disabilities, JOA – Directory Information and JOB – Personally Identifiable Information. To ensure compliance with applicable federal and state law, the district’s staff shall not disclose any school records or information to federal immigration authorities except as provided in these policies.

Staff must also maintain the confidentiality of school records and other information about students, staff, and volunteers when communicating with other students, parents, or community members about immigration enforcement activities involving students, staff, or volunteers of the district or occurring on district property. Staff should direct anyone with questions about immigration enforcement activities occurring on district property to the immigration liaison.

Training

The district will provide the immigration liaison and alternate immigration liaison with training as follows:

1. The training must include information on the requirements of House Bill 4079 (2026), any applicable model policies published by the Attorney General, and this policy; and
2. The training must be provided at the time of designation and at least once every two years thereafter.
3. Upon the adoption of this policy, the district will provide annual training to all current district staff regarding federal and state laws, and the district’s policies, relating to interacting with federal immigration authorities and responding to immigration enforcement efforts. The district will provide the required training to all new staff within 30 days of beginning employment.

END OF POLICY

View the Policy here.

Legal Reference(s):

ORS 180.810

ORS 180.805

ORS 181.826

OAR 581-021-0371