FORT WORTH (WBAP/KLIF News) – The Fort Worth School District unanimously passed a resolution Tuesday night that declared its campuses a safe and welcoming space for students regardless of their immigration status.
The district’s Ashley Paz said she wanted to put the resolution on the agenda because of the growing fear of deportation among students and parents, after they learned of President Donald Trump’s tough stance on immigration.
She said wild rumors were spreading quickly.
“They heard that ICE agents were going to be raiding schools, interviewing their children or waiting outside of schools while parents were picking their children up,” said Paz.
She said that it is a terrifying time for many of the students and their families in the Fort Worth community.
Although she heard the concerns of many in the Fort Worth ISD community, Paz said there was one story that she will never forget.
She said a student told her that his mother didn’t want him to come to school because of fears of deportation and it was in that pivotal moment that she decided to push for the resolution.
“There’s not much we can do outside of the schools but inside the classroom is where we pick up responsibility for the students in their educational outcome,” said Paz.
She said the resolution references the district’s anti-discrimination policy and the 1982 Plyler vs. Doe U.S Supreme Court decision that states that all children are entitled to a public education.
“Because of pre-existing laws and policies which will be enforced fully in Fort Worth ISD, the school district is a safe and welcoming place for everyone,” she said.
The district joined Dallas, Austin and Galveston, which have all passed similar resolutions.
