Several school officials vowed to protect students who will be affected by United States President Donald Trump's immigration executive order. The policy is directed against illegal immigrants, but it also threatens to withhold funds of cities acting as sanctuaries for those who want to build their lives in the U.S.
Steve Zimmer, President of the Los Angeles Unified School Board, issued a statement saying that the Board will not cooperate in the enforcement of such immigration activities. He also called Trump's executive order as the "single most significant act of mean spiritedness by a president in my lifetime." Zimmer declared member schools as safe zones both for child and family members.
The Pittsburgh Public Schools already declared its campus as a sanctuary site after the order was issued, according to US News. The Clark County School Board is also set to issue a resolution of its commitment to immigrant students regardless of their status.
Clark County School Board believes that the new immigration order of the present administration could result in safety and and security disruption among students. "It's clear to me that we need to let our families know that they have a right to be here and we will respect that and honor that and educate every child that comes through our doors," said Carolyn Edwards, the trustee board member at Clark County schools.
Trump's immigration order bans the entry to the Unites States of Syrian refugees, as per the New York Times. It also blocks the entry of citizens from seven Muslim countries for 90 days.
Among these countries are Yemen, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Libya, Iraq and Iran. The order immediately barred the entry of students and even green card holders from entering the airport over the weekend.
The stringent policy on refugees and immigrants already created a stir at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus, according to the Metro West Daily News. This was confirmed by school officials who said they are troubled by the situation as it has already affected their students. Like the other schools protesting the executive order, they also promised to provide support to their students.
