The San Francisco Unified School District sent an automated phone message to thousands of parents Wednesday informing them that the district will continue to provide a "safe space" for recent immigrants "regardless of immigration status" and affirming the city's status as a so-called sanctuary city for non-citizen immigrants.
The message seems to be a response to the election of Donald Trump, who promised during his campaign to crack down on illegal immigration, including building a border wall between the US and Mexico.
Earlier this month, Trump pledged to deport 2 to 3 million immigrants living in the country illegally as soon as he takes office in January.
A district spokesperson told Business Insider that several officials in schools reported children being worried after Trump was elected, and that the notification was part of a broader initiative with the mayor's office. About 56,000 children are enrolled in schools in the district, and every listed parent or guardian received the alert. Usually, alerts are sent for emergencies, like school closures or imminent threats.
San Francisco has pledged not to cooperate with federal officials in finding and deporting immigrants living in the country illegally, although there are exceptions for immigrants with serious and violent felony convictions. A city supervisor, David Campos, is set to introduce legislation setting aside $5 million to help pay for lawyers to represent people in deportation proceedings.
Here's the message in its entirety:
"This is a message from the San Francisco Unified School District to let you know we are committed to providing a safe space for learning for each and every one of our students, including recent immigrants, regardless of immigration status. We will continue to uphold San Francisco sanctuary city for all immigrants. This week, your child's school will be distributing information with resources for immigrant families. We also invite you to visit our web site at www.sfusd.edu to find more information."
