South Kingstown School Committee Votes Unanimously To Defy ICE

SOUTH KINGSTOWN, RI – The South Kingstown School Committee voted unanimously Tuesday night to clarify the town's policy of non-cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Resolution in Support of Immigrant, Refugee, and Undocumented Students and Families in the South Kingstown School District directs that district employees refuse to collaborate with ICE absent a judicial order that is verified through the district superintendent's office and legal council.

"The School Committee has a commitment to ensuring safe schools for all students, regardless of immigration status," School Committee Chair Stephanie Canter told Patch. "I do believe that now — more than ever — we need to ensure that all of our students feel welcome and safe."

The resolution clarifies language that was adopted in the Campus Safety Policy last year. Canter said the School Committee has been met "with an overwhelming amount of support" since the vote.

"There is criticism in the mix too," she allowed. "But, generally, the response has been supportive of the resolution we passed."

The vote came one night before an ICE protest descended into chaos at the Wyatt Detention Center in Central Falls after a black truck attempted to drive through a line of about 100 protestors blocking the entrance. Pepper spray was then used to disperse the group from “Never Again Action” that was protesting an agreement with ICE to hold approximately 130 immigrants in the detention center.

Canter said the potential divisiveness of the immigration issue was not taken into consideration when the resolution was proposed.

"The School Committee's charge is not a political one," she said. "Our job is to provide the highest quality of education for South Kingstown's students. The (resolution) is about explicitly stating that the learning environment of our schools is a protected one."

Canter urged fellow Rhode Island school committees to adopt similar policies.

"There is strength in numbers," she said. "If more districts support resolutions such as this perhaps (the Rhode Island Department of Education) will be encouraged to support legislation that codifies these standards into state law."