A School District in Oregon Votes to Safeguard Immigrant Students Amid Funding Fears

Woodburn, the school district with the most Latino students in Oregon, has reversed an earlier decision not to support the rights and privacy of immigrant and refugee students.

School Board chair Noemi Legaspi abstained from a vote passed 3 – 1 on Tuesday after hours of testimony during which speakers admonished the board for its previous decision on 25 February.

Some Board Members Feared that a Favorable Vote Would Jeopardize Federal Funding

At that time, board members expressed concern that if they voted in favor of the resolution, it could jeopardize federal funding following the Trump administration’s announcement to upend Department of Education programs.

According to data from the Oregon Department of Education, the Woodburn school district received $20 million in federal funding in 2022-23.

Every school in Woodburn is eligible for federal funding for those with high numbers of students from low-income families.

The resolution adopted on Tuesday says all students in Woodburn have the right to attend a public school, regardless of their immigration status.

The resolution also supports Oregon’s immigrant sanctuary status, prohibiting school employees from aiding federal immigration enforcement efforts.

The resolution also prohibits immigration officials from entering school buildings beyond the front office or removing a student from the premises without a court order.

A similar resolution was adopted by other Oregon school districts in recent weeks, including Portland, Salem, and Beaverton.

Some Woodburn students were so upset by the previous vote that they staged a protest walkout from school.

A Woodburn High senior criticized the earlier decision, taken at a time when immigrant families were living in fear of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.