UESF Stands With Our Immigrant Communities
Guidance on our approach to immigrant rights work
The following guidance is intended to offer different levels of engagement with the necessary work to defend immigrant rights, specifically in the City and County of San Francisco. UESF, and all of our state and national affiliates, have a proud history of defending immigrant rights. Your elected union leaders have almost two decades of experience with the immigrant rights movement and are a valuable resource for any member willing to commit themselves to this honorable work. Many of our rank and file members still carry their organizing experiences from the first Trump administration that will be useful to revisit over the next 4 years.
As a union, UESF emphasizes that each and every day that you bring your best practice and apply your professional expertise at our school and work sites is a day that you support our students and families. The injustice towards immigrants, as with the many social ills we are collectively facing under this presidential administration, are the result of an unjust system that punishes all workers. The social character of our oppression requires that supporting and fighting for our students and families cannot just be an individual act. The enormity of the task will lead to burnout if any one individual tries to address it on their own, and losing another educator to these pressures facing public schools only adds to the tragedy of unstable staffing. This is why UESF’s guidance focuses on multiple layers of engagement so that you do what you are able to manage and with other members when possible.
If you have capacity to offer additional support, start by making it clear to families that the safest place for their children is in our public schools. Not only is San Francisco a Sanctuary City, our school district, the San Francisco Unified School District, also has sanctuary policies that protect the rights of students and families. Several communications have been sent to reiterate these rights by the Superintendent. Additionally, your administrative staff, your school social workers and counselors have received “standard operating procedures,” that strengthen the safety of our school sites and work areas. The District plans on making additional training available for those interested. Now more than ever, unity, communication and collaboration among all SFUSD staff, regardless of position, is critical to providing safety for our immigrant communities. Your elected Union Building Committee is a great resource that centralizes communication with your union headquarters and should be your first point of contact if any concerns or questions arise.
Immigrant rights organizations have stated that it is critical to “spread power, not panic.” It is of the utmost importance that we not spread rumors, panic or fear. The vast majority of educators have nothing to fear regarding their own personal safety. Not only do you have many legal rights our families do not, but you also have the support of your union. We must use this privilege to offer a sense of security and peace to our families. If you personally see Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials you can immediately call the San Francisco Rapid Response hotline at (415) 200-1548 to report the sighting. Make sure to also report your interaction to your site administrator or supervisor. Please note that while social media offers a lot of useful and informative content, it cannot be a reliable source of information for something as serious as ICE sightings. Only official communications from the District, which follow official statements from the City and County, should be a reference.
As was emphasized at the beginning of this guidance, you must first take care of yourself and prioritize your connection with students and their families. Every day that you show up for them, despite the many challenges, you are showing the necessary solidarity needed at this time. If you’re interested in supporting or organizing to defend our immigrant communities, please review the many opportunities and resources at your disposal below. Remember, you can always reach out to your union by emailing ask-uesf@uesf.org.
Union Affiliated Work
UESF often raises the slogan “Fighting for the Schools Our Students Deserve.” It is an all-encompassing slogan because your union understands that the fight for public education goes beyond the false borders confining our students and their families. Your union has two major areas of work that we welcome you to join in order to support our immigrant communities. First is our “We Can’t Wait Campaign.” This state-wide campaign has four main platform demands, one of which is “dignified learning and working conditions” where we explicitly state the need to defend immigrant families. Your big bargaining team is raising this important issue at the bargaining table as part of our union demands. Reach out to ask-uesf@uesf.org if you are ready to get more involved in the campaign.
Additionally, UESF has built a very important relationship with an immigrant-led community organization, “Faith in Action,” to deepen our commitment in supporting our most vulnerable families. The work is led by our Community Organizer, Oraiu Amoni and he can be reached at organizing@uesf.org .
As this guidance states, the social problems in the US must have a social response. In order to study examples of resistance, discuss our own experiences and plan for long term solutions and actions, the Political Education Sub Committee of COPE hosts regular meetings and forums tailored for you, our UESF members. The PEC helped organize UESF’s contingent with families the weekend of the inauguration of Donald Trump. If you are interested in participating in the Political Education Sub Committee, please email Alex Schmaus at politics@uesf.org .
Community Affiliated Work
UESF is involved in the immigrant rights coalition based in San Francisco’s Mission District. The Mission has a long and powerful history of community organizing. The coalition brings together non-profits, labor, electeds and city departments to defend and expand the rights of our immigrant communities. The coalition meets on Saturdays every two weeks or so. If you are interested in participating in the meetings, email ask-uesf@uesf.org
List of Resources/Links
SFUSD Resources for Immigrant Students and Families
SF Government Immigrant Services and Resources
CFT: Defending Immigrant Students and Families
CTA- Home is Here: Supporting Immigrant Educators, Students and Families
CARECEN- Know Your Rights Materials
Asian Law Caucus- Know Your Rights
CA Attorney General Guidance on Educational Rights of Immigrant Students and Their Families
CA Department of Justice Guidance to Promoting a Safe and Secure Learning Environment for All
Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) Sanctuary Toolkit
