Teachers are asking to be trained how to handle immigration issues
Posted: March 14, 2025
The teachers union told the schools superintendent Friday that educators across the state need clear direction on how to address fears about federal immigration enforcement involving public school students on and off campus.
One day after Schools Superintendent Keith Hayashi told the Hawaiʻi Board of Education that immigration guidance had been distributed to school administrators, classroom educators said they are still waiting for detailed instructions from school leaders on what to do if U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers or other law enforcement personnel show up on campus looking for undocumented students.
Sarah Milianta-Laffin, a science and computer teacher at ʻIlima Intermediate said, “We did receive an email on March 7 that basically said if ICE is involved, find your administrator. Our concern is that teachers haven’t been trained. I’m a classroom teacher, we are rule followers, we are really interested in protocol, we practice fire drills, we practice evacuation drills, and we haven’t had any training or practice on what to do if ICE is involved in our schools.”
“People are asking for the training, we have our members, we have teachers, messaging us on social media to say, what do we do if this happens, how do we protect our students?” Milianta-Laffin added.
In a letter to Hayashi Friday, Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association Deputy Director Andrea Eshelman said, “Educators across the state are increasingly alarmed about the potential impact of heightened immigration enforcement on students and their families. The fear of family separation has already led to absenteeism, emotional distress, and a general feeling of insecurity among students, making it difficult for them to focus on learning.”
“As schools serve as safe havens for all children, it is critical that teachers and staff receive clear and comprehensive guidance on how to support students while ensuring that campuses remain secure, inclusive learning environments,” Eshelman told the superintendent in her letter.
“Many of our members have requested further clarification on their specific roles in such situations, as well as more details on the responsibilities of other school personnel, particularly administrators. This is especially critical because many HSTA members serve as “teachers in charge” when an administrator is unavailable, effectively assuming the administrator’s responsibilities in these instances. Ensuring teachers are fully informed about administrative obligations in these situations is essential,” Eshelman added.
Hayashi told the BOE Thursday that his department had “worked very closely with the Attorney General’s office” and that immigration guidance has been distributed to school administrators, including complex area superintendents, state-level directors and principals.
Those instructions were released more than two weeks after a Kona boy was taken out of Konawaena Elementary by a school resource officer late last month after his father was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
“Superintendent Hayashi indicated that guidance had been finalized and distributed. That was the first that we (HSTA) had heard that it was distributed, and we have no idea how detailed the guidance is and if teachers will be given copies,” the HSTA’s Eshelman said Friday morning following Thursday’s BOE meeting.
Eshelman requested a copy of those guidelines from Hayashi Friday, “so we can at least properly advise our members,” she said.
“Our members have expressed a lot of concerns regarding the impacts to the students that they want to make sure that they know what they’re supposed to do, and there’s a little bit of fear among our members. They’re worried about what happens if someone shows up at their classroom door, for example,” Eshelman said.
Nearly 100 educators, students, community members, and education allies gathered Thursday in Kona on Hawaiʻi Island to advocate to keep immigration agencies out of schools and support students who have already been detained from their homes and even from public schools.
In HIDOE’s weekly Ho’oha‘aheo newsletter Wednesday, Hayashi, the superintendent, said, “The safety, privacy and rights of our students remain our top priority. I want to emphasize that our schools follow established procedures when approached by law enforcement. This includes verifying the credentials of law enforcement officials, reviewing documents that would be necessary for law enforcement to enter campus, consulting with the complex area superintendent and Attorney General’s office when necessary, and only releasing students to legal parent or guardian or emergency contacts.”
“We understand that misinformation can cause concern, and we want to reassure our families that we remain steadfast in protecting and supporting every student in our care. Employees may continue to send information to fedwatch@k12.hi.us,” Hayashi said in the newsletter’s top story titled “Monitoring federal impacts.”