The Los Angeles Unified School District is trying to help ease fears among students, staff and their families by handing out red cards with information about encounters with federal immigration authorities.
The district’s move is in response to immigration raids prompted by an executive order by President Trump. The order removes restrictions that once prevented ICE from conducting raids in schools, houses of worship and hospitals.
These red cards from the Immigration Legal Resource Center include advice such as don’t open the door if immigration officers knock, don’t answer any questions, don’t sign anything without first consulting an attorney and give the card to the agent as a way to assert your constitutional rights.
The card also reads, “I am giving you this card because I do not wish to speak or have any further contact with you. I choose to exercise my constitutional rights to remain silent and refuse to answer your questions. If you arrest me, I will continue to exercise my right to remain silent and refuse to answer your questions. I want to speak to an attorney before I answer any questions.”
A non-profit group started making these types of cards in 2017 when similar fears reverberated through communities under the previous Trump administration.
These “know your rights” cards are being handed out physically as well as through the LAUSD website in multiple languages.
It is not yet clear which schools have the cards to hand out, but distribution of the cards started last week after the announcement that ICE and Border Patrol would be allowed to make arrests at schools and churches.
LAUSD also relaunched its “We Are One” program, as in 2017, to help educate the public about what the constitutional rights are for both immigrants and non-immigrants.
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