New York, Aug 27 (EFE) .- The New York Department of Education, the largest in the US., And immigrants for this Wednesday assured this community that schools are safe for their children, before the beginning of the new school year on September 4 and the continuous raids carried out by the administration of President Donald Trump.
“Our schools are a safe place, where your child will be careful and valued. This year we will continue to support our newcomers,” said the Minister of Education, Melissa Avilés Ramos, to the thousands of immigrant parents who feel fear of sending their children to school and that they themselves or children are arrested by immigration agents, although in theory those arrests are not allowed in educational centers or churches.
Avilés Ramos said during a joint press conference that they will continue to support the immigrant community with various actions such as the Resource Fair to facilitate access to food, clothing, hygiene products and connect them with organizations that guide them in various areas.
He also stressed that they have trained thousands of employees from schools in protocols to act before the forces, what they will continue to do.
While Mary Vaccaro, vice president of the United Federation of Masters, the main union in the Department of Education that represents some 200,000 members, the message reiterated to the parents that they are not afraid.
“They are afraid to upload their son to the bus because they do not know who will be waiting when they arrive at school,” he said during the conference in front of the department of education, steps from the City Mayor’s Office.
“We do not want them to be afraid to enter those schools because they are a safe and cozy environment,” he said and also asked parents to give their information to teachers when they arrive at their child’s school by ensuring that it will not be shared with immigration. It will only be used to locate them if their child gets sick, he said.
He also assured immigrants that school staff will be to receive children when buses arrive at the campus and will accompany them to their respective hall.
Among the groups that said present was also the International Network for Public Schools, which in this city operates 17 public schools for immigrants who assured that “they are ready” to receive them on September 4. The intermediate and higher level school has students from 100 countries and 99 languages are spoken.
For its part, the immigration coalition, which convened the conference, indicated that they have worked with the Department of Education and other pro -immigrant organizations to produce educational material to guide immigrants on their rights and what to do before a meeting with immigration, material that is available on the web.
He stressed that a main point is that parents have a document naming a tutor for their children if they are arrested as part of the Trump government policy of mass deportations.
