This guide was created for educators, school support staff and service providers who teach, mentor and help open the doors of opportunity for immigrant students and families. Educators, school support staff and service providers are often the first individuals to whom students and families disclose their undocumented status.
They also witness firsthand the profound impact of heightened immigration enforcement measures on students’ well-being, mental health, academic success and sense of security.
Schools should be safe havens, sanctuary places of learning that embrace all students and families, regardless of citizenship and national origin, and that includes unaccompanied and refugee children. The 1982 U.S. Supreme Court case Plyler v. Doe ruled that undocumented children have a constitutional right to receive a free public K-12 education, which provides the means to becoming a “self-reliant and self-sufficient participant in society,” the court wrote, and instills the “fundamental values necessary to the maintenance of a democratic political system.”
This guide helps ensure every student has the chance to learn, grow, and build a future without fear. Together, we can keep schools safe, supportive, and inclusive for all.
AFT-UWD-Educator-Guide-2025
