Board Policy 4300

Board Policy 4300 outlines strict guidelines should Federal Immigration Enforcement come to our schools. 

As outlined in Policy 4300, staff should follow these guidelines: 

• Direct any immigration enforcement officer to the public sidewalk. 

• The site administrator will contact the Superintendent’s office immediately at 206-631-3070. Assistance will be sent to the school immediately.  

• Do not permit access to students or classrooms without explicit authorization from the Superintendent’s office. 

• Require officers to present identification and a warrant. 

• Make copies of both documents and provide them to the Superintendent’s office. 

• Do not release any student information or records unless required by a court order or subpoena and approved by the Superintendent’s office.  

• Notify the student’s parent or guardian immediately. 

Report any suspected violations of student rights to the Superintendent’s office, which will file a report with the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. 

🛡️ Immigrants Rights

• 📚 Every child has the right to attend school. 

  • If you live in our district, your child can come to school, regardless of immigration status.

•  🚫 We do not collect or share information about a student’s immigration status. We only collect basic information (such as birthdate or parent/guardian names) to support a child’s education. 

  • We will not share any immigration-related details with federal immigration authorities. People engaging in, or intending to engage in, immigration enforcement (including surveillance) are not allowed in nonpublic areas of school property. See Policy 4300. Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), schools cannot share information from a student’s file with federal immigration agents without a lawful court order.

  • Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), schools cannot share information from a student’s file with federal immigration agents without a lawful court order.

• 📞 All immigration enforcement requests must be directed to the Superintendent.

  • If someone from a federal immigration agency comes to campus, staff will refer them to the Superintendent before any access is allowed.

🧡 We Stand With Families

Everyone in the United States—regardless of immigration status—has certain rights:

• 🤐 Right to Remain Silent: You may choose not to speak with an ICE agent, including refusing to answer questions about your birthplace or how you entered the country.

• ⚖️ Right to Legal Representation and a Phone Call: You can request to speak with a lawyer and make a phone call before answering any questions.

• ✋📄 Right to Decline to Sign or Show Documents: You are not required to sign anything or show any papers until you have spoken with a lawyer.

Learn more at the Highline Public Schools website here.

Several organizations have compilations of "Know Your Rights" cards, fliers, infographics, and one-pager, as shown below.

• "Red Cards" - PDF to print | How to Use Them (Immigration Legal Resource Center)

• Your Rights With Immigration (with Warrant Guidance) (Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network)

• Know Your Rights (Northwest Immigrant Rights Project)

• Know Your Rights with ICE (Immigrant Defense Project)

• Know Your Rights (Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc.)

• VIDEOS: We Have Rights (ACLU)

• Remember that messaging apps like WhatsApp and Messenger are not fully encrypted and are best avoided for communicating sensitive information.

• Some messaging apps, like Signal, encrypt your messages, making it difficult for others to intercept them.

  • Signal, the Secure Messaging App: A Guide for Beginners (Freedom of the Press Foundation)

• If you use facial recognition and fingerprint systems on your mobile devices, change your security settings so they can only be accessed with a passcode. This reduces the likelihood of law enforcement accessing your phone's content without your consent.

• Avoid posting your exact real-time location on social media. Authorities, including immigration agents, can monitor your social media accounts and use any online posts against you and those you care about.

• ¡REMEMBER! Spread power, not panic

• You can report confirmed ICE or CBP activity in Washington State to the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network by calling:

1-844-724-3737 (Monday through Friday from 6 AM to 6 PM)

You may want to save this number in your phone.

• SignalSafe and People Over Papers are crowd-sources maps where people report what they believe to be immigration enforcement activities. We cannot verify the accuracy of the information reported. Please use caution and take into account the possibility of human error.

• You hear about ICE activity--now what? (Immigrant Defense Project)

• Guide for Bystanders and Observers (Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network)

• Documenting ICE Raids: What to Track (Immigrant Defense Project)

⚠️ Beware of Scams – Seek Reliable Legal Help

Do not be fooled by "notarios" or others who are not legally authorized to give legal advice. Some charge excessive fees or make false promises.

• Seek help only from reliable sources, such as those listed below—a licensed immigration attorney or a recognized nonprofit organization.

• If you have an upcoming immigration court hearing or have been ordered to report to ICE:

  • Seek legal advice immediately.

  • Do not go to court alone.

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• iAmerica.org, a national campaign for migrant justice by the SEIU, has an immigration legal services directory here. 

• Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network has compiled a comprehensive resource directory on a wide array of topics, including immigration.  

• Washington Law Help is an online library of vetted legal information by the Northwest Justice Project

• The Northwest Justice Project also administers the CLEAR hotline for low-income people seeking legal help. Those in King County can find legal resources by dialing 2-1-1.

• Colectiva Legal del Pueblo offers free or low-cost immigration legal services depending on available funding.

• Northwest Immigrants Rights Project advances justice by defending and promoting the rights of immigrants through offering direct legal services.  Because NWIRP receives about 1,500 service requests every week, it cannot provide services to everyone who needs them. Verify your eligibility here. 

• Catholic Immigration Legal Services of Western Washington provides quality legal services to low-income residents of Washington State. Their services inquiry is here.

• Legal Counsel for Youth and Children partners with immigrant rights organizations and attorneys to help unaccompanied immigrant youth and young adults connect with resources and apply for Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) status.

• Update your emergency contact information at your child's school in case you are not available to respond.

• Immigrant Safety Plan (Legal Counsel for Youth and Children)

  • The Immigrant Safety Plan document is a collective community resource to help parents plan for the care of their child(ren) (with or without status) in the event that a parent is unable to care for their child, particularly if the parent is detained or deported.

• Emergency Preparedness for Those at Risk of Deportation (Immigrant Defense Project)

• What to do if ICE stops or detains you (National Immigration Legal Center)

• How to find a loved one after a U.S. immigration arrest (National Immigration Legal Center)

• The Northwest Detention Center, renamed the Northwest Center for ICE Processing in 2019, is an immigration prison in Tacoma, Washington. You can find more information about it here. (Northwest Immigrant Rights Project)

  • Our Guide to the Northwest Detention Center (or NWDC) for detained immigrants (Northwest Immigrant Rights Project)

  • Our Guide to the Northwest Detention Center (or NWDC) for family and friends (Northwest Immigrant Rights Project)

For updates and trainings:

• National Immigration Legal Center

• Northwest Immigrant Rights Projects Webinars

• LCYC Upcoming Trainings

• iAmerica Immigrant Resources