Supporting Immigrant Students During Uncertain Times: Tips for ELL Educators

As an educator who works with English language learners (ELLs), you may find that your students and families are directly affected by immigration issues, including public debates, changing policies, and local enforcement. Here are some ideas for supporting students and sustaining family partnerships.

Special thanks to educators from the Twin Cities area that contributed to this article.

Overview

Students from immigrant families are enrolled in schools across the country. As a result, immigration policies — and changes to those policies — have the potential to affect millions of students in U.S. schools and early childhood settings.

According to Education Week:

• In 2023, nearly 2.5 million children under the age of 18 were born in a country other than the U.S. (Migration Policy Institute)
• In 2023, nearly 18 million children under the age of 18 in the United States had one or more foreign-born parent of various legal statuses (U.S. Census)
• About 651,000 undocumented immigrant children ages 3 to 17 were enrolled in U.S. schools (Migration Policy Institute's analysis of U.S. Census data)
• About 6.3 million children live in mixed-status households (Migration Policy Institute), in which at least one member of the household is undocumented, while others are U.S. citizens or authorized

In addition, all children born in the United States — including children of undocumented immigrants — are citizens. However, public discourse and efforts to change this may lead to confusion on this topic.

Immigration issues impact students in a variety of ways. For example, educators may notice:

• Student concern, stress, fatigue, withdrawal, or lack of motivation
• Family concerns about school policies
• Drops in attendance or enrollment
• An impact on family stability and security when a caregiver or breadwinner is no longer available

There are several things that educators can do to support their students. These ideas are based on experiences and anecdotes of veteran ELL educators.

Immigrant Students' Rights

Become familiar with immigrant students' legal rights.

All students have the right to a free, public K-12 education, regardless of their immigration status or that of their parents. This includes access to services and programs such as free- and reduced-priced meals, English-language development classes, special education, and school activities. In addition, students have additional educational, civil, and privacy rights regardless of immigration status.

It is critical for schools and districts to:

• Understand what those rights are
• Review whether their policies protect those rights for all students
• Understand how those policies are being implemented throughout the district
• Ensure that staff understand those rights and policies, particularly if they are work in the front office or help with enrollment

In addition, states may have additional policies and laws in place. (This resource for educators in Minnesota compiles relevant federal and state policies in one spot.) If educators in your settings are not familiar with those rights, talk with administrators about options for staff training.

Ask for clarifications on school policies if needed.

If you aren't clear on your school policy regarding interactions with law or immigration enforcement, ask an administrator for guidance. If the district does not have a policy in place, you may wish to share some examples from other districts as a way of jumpstarting a conversation about this important topic. And if you see that there are misconceptions on these issues in your setting, bring your concerns to administrators, along with related resources if needed.

In addition, schools should also have a plan in place on what to do if caregivers are detained during the school day. Schools may also wish to connect families with partners who can help them fill out paperwork to name alternate guardians for their children (often called a Delegation of Parental Authority, or DOPA, form). These issues are challenging to navigate under any circumstance, but having a plan and protocols in place can make a big difference for students' well-being and is preferable to figuring out what to do in real time.

Understanding Immigration Issues

Identify the issues that are impacting your families.

The better you know your families, the better you will understand which issues they are navigating. Family liaisons and community organizations can be an important source of information on families' questions and concerns. These issues may include:

• Changing policies that impact families' legal status (e.g., Temporary Protected Status, specific visa programs, refugee designations, or country-based programs)
• Detention and deportation of family members, including children and young adults
• Local immigration enforcement
• Considering returning to a home country

In addition, keep in mind the following:

• Mixed-status families can face complicated challenges that may impact caregivers.
• Policies and enforcement focused on a specific community may also impact individuals and families with legal status.

Keep an eye out for basic needs that aren't being met.

Families may also be dealing with issues related to food, housing, employment, health care, and mental health. Food insecurity may be a particular issue if families have lost income or are not going out to shop. According to a school leader in the Twin Cities area,

"We are hearing about a lot of food insecurity. So as a result of that, our social workers in our school are taking up donations to create go bags for families…We are volunteering to grocery shop for them and drop materials off and really do whatever it takes to keep them safe and comforted in a very challenging time." She noted that attendance at her school has dropped by about 30 percent recently.

Helping families address basic needs is an area where school support and partnerships with teacher's unions, local volunteers, organizations, and businesses can make a significant difference, particularly in the areas of food security.

In addition, transportation for students and families may be a challenge if:

• The people they previously relied on are available to transport them
• They no longer have access to a vehicle
• They are not currently using public transportation

Keep in mind that the impacts of immigration issues will look different for various age groups.

• Educators of young children should watch for signs of trauma that can impact healthy development and attachment.
• Educators of older elementary and secondary students should be aware that the students may have additional responsibilities at home (financial, caretaking for younger siblings, managing contact with detained family members, etc.). They may also be experiencing high levels of stress, trauma, and anxiety that they don't share at home because they don't wish to add to their families' burdens at home. And they may lose motivation at school in the face of increased uncertainty.

Maintaining Students' Access to Learning

Keep an eye out for changes in attendance, enrollment, and family engagement.

Schools may see a drop in student attendance or family participation at school events. And some schools may see a decline in enrollment if families move to a new state or community or decide to return to their home country. If you notice these trends, be sure to communicate them to administrators at the school, district, and state levels.

In addition, it may be worth starting a collaborative conversation about re-examining attendance policies, such as automatically "dropping" students from enrollment after an extended absence or jumpstarting truancy proceedings (which sometimes lead to court appearances that caregivers may be fearful to attend). If school leaders are skeptical about these changes or the broader impact of immigration on students, look for opportunities to share experiences from your school community while maintaining student privacy. 

Prepare for the possibility of virtual learning and family engagement.

Virtual learning

Some schools or districts may choose to offer a virtual option, or even move the district to remote learning for a time. Think about what you and your students would need for virtual learning. Do they have devices and internet access? Even though we've come a long way since the early days of the pandemic in terms of online learning, digital access may still be spotty and not all families will have access to a stable internet connection. It's also worth thinking about what online learning platforms you would use and how to help your students get comfortable with these tools.

In some cases, virtual learning may be an option that is offered; in others, a district may move to remote learning for all students, so it's important to think through both scenarios.

Family engagement

Consider offering Flexible/Virtual Parent-Teacher conferences or events to allow families to stay connected and participate in conferences from home. In addition, it is important for educators to be aware of any guidance regarding the conference conversations and be mindful of families' current context and bandwidth — focus on what is most critical.

Look for opportunities to maintain routines and consistency for students.

Even if there is upheaval in students' daily lives or within the community, look for ways to provide some consistency where possible. In addition, keep in mind that, if you work with ELLs, you are an important adult in their day who can be a positive and steady presence. These may seem like small things, but they are important contributions to students' well-being during periods of uncertainty.

Social-Emotional Support

Look for ways to support students' mental health.

This might involve:

• Training for staff, counselors, and teachers in trauma-based practices
• Using small group sessions
• Asking families for their input on what practices are appropriate in their culture
• Creating partnerships with local hospitals, universities, and health organizations to provide additional trained professionals

In addition, use social-emotional learning strategies on a regular basis, such as daily check-ins, teacher mailboxes, and mood boards. (You can do many of these activities online as well.) Use that feedback to guide instruction and check in with individual students who need it.

See more ideas in our related tip sheet, Mental Health Support for Immigrant Students.

Look for ways to continue positive interactions.

Allow students time to be creative, social, and collaborative. And let them know it's ok to enjoy positive things that might happen in the midst of stressful times — something fun or funny, or something they enjoy doing.

It's also important for students (and staff) to take news and social media breaks. It may be hard when events are unfolding nearby, but it's essential.

Don't put students or families on the spot to talk about immigration issues.

Never put students or family members on the spot to speak about their own perspective or as a "representative" of a particular country, culture, race, or other identifying characteristic.

If students do choose to share information about their situation, keep in mind that this information should not be shared (even in an effort to support students) without the student's permission. It is also important to help students navigate the choices they make about how and when to share information related to their personal situation.

Do let students know you are available to talk if needed or that you can provide a place for them to have some down time.

Let students know you are available to talk if you think they would feel comfortable with you doing so. Provide a space for processing their thoughts, such as in a journal, or invite a small group of impacted students for an informal chat if appropriate.

If students do wish to talk, listen with care and empathy. Students may have personal questions and considerations about their own safety, their future, or that of their families. Acknowledge the challenge of these uncertainties without providing false assurances.

You may also want to offer students a safe, comforting place they can visit if needed. For example, Kristina Robertson writes, "I opened up my room for lunch groups so students who needed a break from the noise and chaos could eat lunch in a quiet space, listen to their music. and chat with friends. I didn't need to lead anything; I just set up the parameters for a consistent, comfortable space."

If you think that students need more extensive support, find out what options are available through your school counselor or social worker.

Collaboration and Staff Support

Look for ways to collaborate.

Collaboration gives staff the chance to draw upon different perspectives and expertise. Engage parent leaders and staff such as administrators, family liaisons, ESL/bilingual educators, social workers, counselors and paraprofessionals. In addition, consider creating a team focused on immigrant family outreach that can help address priority issues. Even if you don't have a plan at the beginning, having some established networks can help respond to questions and different kinds of situations as they arise.

It may also be helpful to have a building leader for this outreach. For example, a teacher's union in the Twin Cities area created a team of building captains who could stay updated on news and communicate those updates to the rest of the building.

Finally, continue to take care of yourself.

Look for ways to take care of yourself and to create a community of support among colleagues. These are challenging issues to navigate, and at times, traumatic. Educators should keep an eye out for symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress and Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS), which is "the emotional duress that results when an individual hears about the firsthand trauma experiences of another." (National Child Traumatic Stress Network)

At the same time, it's important to take breaks, recharge, and share moments of joy and connection.

Administrators can support staff by:

• Checking in regularly with staff
• Giving them chances to debrief and access the support they need
• Advocating for additional resources at the district or state level, as well as through community partnerships
• Remembering that staff themselves may be impacted by immigration issues that affect them personally
• Recognizing their expertise and taking their concerns seriously, particularly if they work closely with ELLs and immigrant students
• Thanking staff for their hard work and recognizing their dedication to their students and families