SF school board weighs in on sanctuary city policy
The San Francisco Chronicle, September 23, 2009
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/cityinsider/detail?entry_id=48189
The San Francisco school board jumped into the city's illegal immigrant debate Tuesday night, officially chastising city officials for reporting 'undocumented students' to immigration and customs officials.
The approved resolution, sponsored by board President Kim-Shree Maufas and board member Jane Kim, calls on the elected officials to amend a city ordinance so that youth receive 'due process in juvenile court' before they are referred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
'The Board of Education of the San Francisco Unified School District believes that reporting a student's immigration status to ICE may create a chilling effect on access to public education in the City and County of San Francisco, deterring some parents from sending their children to school for fear that their children may be prosecuted by ICE and deported.'
City officials have come under fire recently for reporting youth suspected of committing a crime to federal immigration authorities.
At the same time, the city has faced community outrage for shielding juvenile offenders from deportation, youths who later were accused of other crimes.
Last month Supervisor David Campos introduced legislation that would require police to wait until a juvenile is convicted before notifying immigration officials. While the bill appears to have a veto-proof majority, opponents of his legislation, said the changes would open the city up for legal challenges.
