DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - The Des Moines school board has decided the district will act as a sanctuary for students who entered the country without legal permission and will require that any immigration inquiries about them will go through the superintendent’s office and the district’s attorney.
The board voted Tuesday night for a resolution that says the board will do everything it can “to afford equal protection of all members of our community from attempts to criminalize or target them based on race, ethnicity, citizenship, immigration status or national origin.”
Officials estimate that about 4,000 Des Moines students were born outside the United States. Many have refugee or legal immigration status, while others entered the country illegally.
District spokesman Phil Roeder says he doesn’t think the district has ever been contacted by immigration officials.
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