SHEBOYGAN – Sheboygan Area School District leaders are being asked to adopt rules that would make schools there “safe zones” for undocumented immigrant students and their families and protect them from federal immigration agents.
Voces de la Frontera, representing undocumented immigrants said it’s demanding that the Sheboygan district declare its schools as immigration “sanctuaries.”
A similar demand was adopted this year by Milwaukee Public Schools.
Among other things, the group urges the Sheboygan district to declare every district site a “safe place” where students and families can get help and information if they’re facing immigration issues.
The organization says it aims to ensure that schools limit how much information about their students and family members is shared with federal immigration agents. It’s also meant to curb those agents’ access to K-12 schools.
Voces de la Frontera’s local chapter, which launched earlier this year and has already held two major protests here since then — it rallied at City Hall in March against a municipal immigration enforcement resolution, and gathered again on the city’s south side this week — is also pressing city leaders to begin handing out photo IDs to Sheboygan residents.
The group has characterized its push for local IDs as a response to tightened restrictions in Wisconsin on obtaining drivers licenses.
