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Supporting Multilingual Families Amid Immigration Fears
Across our SEAL network, educators and school leaders are witnessing firsthand the impact of growing immigration fears on students and families. As policies shift and uncertainty increases, many families—especially those from immigrant and multilingual backgrounds—are experiencing heightened anxiety. These fears don’t just affect parents; they have a profound impact on students, creating stress that can hinder learning, social development, and overall well-being.
At SEAL, we believe that all children deserve to feel safe, supported, and empowered in their schools and communities. That’s why we are working alongside our partners to develop and share resources that provide guidance, reassurance, and practical support for families navigating these challenges. We will continue to share their list of resources - scroll to end for links and downloads.
The Impact on Teachers and Schools
The fear and uncertainty surrounding immigration policies also weigh heavily on educators. Teachers and school staff often serve as trusted adults and first responders to students’ emotional and social needs. Many educators report feeling unprepared to address questions about immigration status, handle student anxieties, or provide legal resources to families seeking support. This added emotional burden can contribute to stress and burnout, especially in schools with large multilingual student populations.
During these challenging times, we stand with our schools, teachers, students and their families and we are honored to work with our partners, like Californians Together and Teach Plus, to uplift vital resources to support schools and teachers build safe and welcoming environments.
Partner Spotlight: Californians Together
Our partner Californians Together recently published a powerful blog outlining how districts can and must ensure schools are safe and welcoming environments for all students.
They highlight how school districts can:
✅ Adopt and enforce safe school policies to protect all students, especially those from immigrant backgrounds.
✅ Train educators to understand students’ rights and respond appropriately to immigration-related concerns.
✅ Ensure mental health and wellness support for students experiencing trauma due to immigration fears.
✅ Engage families through workshops, multilingual resources, and legal aid connections
California’s Commitment to Protecting Students
In light of recent developments, California legislators are taking proactive steps to protect K-12 students and their families from potential deportation actions. According to a recent article by CalMatters, two bills have been introduced in the Legislature—AB 49 and SB 48—that aim to limit federal immigration agents' access to school properties without proper authorization.
🔹 AB 49 would require immigration agents to obtain written permission from the superintendent before entering school grounds and prohibits their presence in rooms where children are present.
🔹 SB 48 seeks to prevent local police from cooperating with federal agents within a one-mile radius of schools and restricts schools from sharing student and family information with federal authorities.
While these measures cannot entirely prevent federal actions, they are designed to reinforce schools as safe havens for students and protect immigrant families from unnecessary enforcement actions.
For more detailed information on these legislative measures, read the full article by CalMatters here.
Partner Spotlight: Teach Plus & AB 699 Compliance
In addition to these legislative efforts, AB 699—a landmark California law—prohibits discrimination based on a student’s immigration status and ensures that schools do not collect immigration-related information. Our partner TeachPlus has developed an informational handout outlining how districts can comply withAB 699 and support immigrant families and a list of resources linked below.
How Schools Must Comply with AB 699:
✔ Enrollment Process & Paperwork: Schools cannot ask for immigration status during enrollment, anddistricts must notify immigrant parents of their rights.
✔ School District Policies: Districts must adopt model policies that limit immigration enforcement in schools and educate students about bullyingbased on immigration status.
Key compliance areas for districts:
📌 Enrollment compliance audit – Ensuring that enrollment paperwork does not ask for immigration-related information.
📌 Model policy alignment audit – Verifying that school policies align with the California Attorney General’s guidelines and include “immigration status” as a protected characteristic in non-discrimination policies.
How You Can Help Ensure Your District is in Compliance:
✔ Educate communities – Spread awareness ofAB 699 among parents, students, and educators.
✔ Request policy documents – Review district non-discrimination andenrollment policies to ensure compliance.
✔ Advocate for policy updates – Work with school boards andsuperintendents to ensure all policies are inclusive andimmigrant-friendly.
✔ Ensure accessibility – Verify that district resources and complaintprocedures are translated and accessible to immigrant families.
For a full list of advocacy actions and compliance guidelines, explore Teach Plus’s AB 699 informational resources.
List of Resources
Thank you to all our partners and our schools. Here are just some of the many resources:
Articles
- The 74: Teachers vow to keep immigrant kids learning
- CalMatters: Can California Keep ICE Away from Schools
- Californians Together: Blog - January 22, 2025
Resources for Teachers
- California Teachers Association
- California Guidance on Education Rights of Immigrant Students and their Families
- California Department of Education
- Immigrant Legal Resource Center: Resources for Teachers
- California School Board Association
- United Teachers Los Angeles
- Association of California School Administrators
- San Diego County Office of Education: Educator Guide
- Colorin Colorado: Strategies to support immigrant students and their families
- Supporting Immigrants in Uncertain Times
- TeachPlus: list of resources for teachers and families
Immigration Rights
- Red Cards
- California Immigrant Policy Center
- California Civil Rights Department
- CHIRLA
- County of LA
- ACLU of Norther California
- ACLU of Southern California
- Immigrants Rising
- California First 5
- United Way of California
Read More News from SEAL
Learn about changes in policy, up-to-date research, and unique practices to support Dual Language and Multilingual Learners. And don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter here.
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