Monday’s Supreme Court ruling represents another blow to civil liberties and the principles that make the United States the strongest cultural and economic force in the world. The court’s 6-3 ruling removes restrictions on ICE, and grants agents the ability to conduct stops without reasonable suspicion. Let’s be clear, this development will encourage officials to rely on race, class, and language as determining factors for conducting stops.
This does not make our country safe. It makes parents afraid to send their children to school. It makes teachers nervous when their students are repeatedly absent. Grandparents should not fear sharing songs and stories with their grandchildren in the languages they grew up speaking, and parents should not feel obligated to send their children out into the world with multiple forms of identification.
The court’s decision presents public safety issues in the classroom and beyond, but advocates are not standing down. Californians Together will continue to share resources to support schools as they work to create welcoming spaces for all students, native-born and newcomer alike. We will continue to advocate for policies and practices to support English learners as they bring their cultural and linguistic gifts to school each day. We are proud of our coalition and partners across the country who are upholding the values of multilingualism and multiculturalism that make communities strong.