Executive Order on immigration

One of the first Executive Orders (EO) President Trump issued immediately on assuming office on January 20, 2025 was on immigration. The Administration paired this EO with directives from the Department of Homeland Security that rescinded the Biden Administration’s guidelines for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that treated certain areas such as schools, universities, churches, and hospitals as “safe spaces” from immigration enforcement. This rescission of the safe space status to schools and community spaces has impacted attendance at schools and afterschool programs as fearful families keep their children home.

What can programs do?

Programs should educate themselves about the issue so you are knowledgeable about the rights of youth, their families, and the communities you serve. It may also be helpful to think through what measures you can put in place to reassure families as well as have a plan in case of an emergency. Many organizations have produced toolkits and resources that may be helpful to program leaders as well as families.

• The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) has created a guide for safe space policies for early childhood programs. Many of the recommendations and actions suggested can be applied more universally to programs that serve school-aged youth. Read this guide to help your program think through the protocols and processes that should be in place for both routine operations and crises. Being prepared with a well-thought out plan that all staff members are knowledgeable about is always helpful.
   
• Some programs are offering virtual programming using practices and resources utilized during the pandemic. A place to start is the Afterschool Alliance’s webpage on virtual programming created during the pandemic. A couple of sites to check for curriculum and program resources include Mizzen Education and the BOOST Cafe Resource Center.
   
• This slide deck from a webinar the Afterschool Alliance hosted during the last Trump administration has been updated and checked for accuracy. It contains information on how afterschool programs can support their immigrant students, families, and communities.
   
• Some school districts, localities, and states have issued guidance on the Administration's EOs on Immigration. Make sure you check your local area offices for any additional guidance. For example, see this guidance from Chicago Public Schools.
   
• The National Immigration Law Center has produced a “Know your Rights” guide that describes the rights everyone living in the United States has if stopped by an ICE agent. This can be provided to the families in your community.
   
  • If useful, you can download the “Know Your Rights” flyer in 16 different languages.
     
• Finally, this guide on school-community partnerships in the event of an ICE raid may also be helpful to read through.

Additional resources:

• This toolkit from the Children Thrive Action Network contains a comprehensive set of resources that you can read through for additional background.
   
• UnidosUS has compiled a set of resources including where families can look for legal aid.

The Afterschool Alliance is not an expert on the topic of immigration and is sharing these resources with the afterschool community to equip the field as we recognize the distress that many youth-serving programs are facing. This is an evolving story and we will do our best to provide updates and resources as they relate to and impact afterschool programs across the country.