New California bill would require schools to notify parents about immigration raids

California lawmakers have passed a bill requiring K-12 schools, state universities, and community colleges to alert students, faculty, and staff about immigration enforcement activity on campuses. The notifications would work “similar to early warning systems in place for other campus emergencies,” said state senator Sasha Renée Pérez, who authored the legislation, according to a report by The Guardian.

The bill now goes to Governor Gavin Newsom, who has until October 12 to sign it into law. If approved, it will take effect immediately and remain in force until 2031. “With students returning to school, this legislation is more important than ever,” Pérez added.

The measure comes amid growing concern over federal immigration raids targeting immigrant families. Officials have previously detained individuals outside schools and shopping centers, causing fear among students and parents.

“Students cannot learn unless they feel safe,” said Democratic Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi, speaking at Hawthorne High School in Los Angeles County. “For decades, we had a bipartisan agreement to keep educational institutions, schools and campuses, free from immigration enforcement activities.”

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond also supported the bill. “Our immigrant families are living in fear, and our time to act is limited. The school year has begun, and now is the time to make decisive efforts to protect our communities and maintain schools as a safe place for learning,” he said.

The legislation is part of a broader effort by California to safeguard immigrants. Other measures would bar immigration authorities from entering non-public areas of schools or hospitals without a warrant, reinforcing these institutions as safe spaces.

The urgency of the bill is highlighted by recent incidents. In August, federal agents detained a 15-year-old outside a Los Angeles high school at gunpoint. The Los Angeles Unified School District, serving around 30,000 immigrant students, nearly a quarter undocumented, asked authorities to avoid enforcement near schools during hours of instruction.

Pérez said the Safe Act would “help inform and empower school communities to make the best decisions about their safety and their family’s safety,” according to The Guardian report. The bill sends a clear message: Schools are not just classrooms; they are sanctuaries, and California law now aims to protect them.