How Berkeley schools aim to keep students safe with feds in Bay Area

Protesters sing at the entrance of the Coast Guard Base in Alameda on Oct. 23, 2025. Credit: Florence Middleton for the Oaklandside

As a caravan of federal agents arrived in the Bay Area Thursday morning, the Berkeley school district sought to reassure families of the efforts it takes to keep students safe amid concerns of stepped-up immigration enforcement operation.

President Trump said on social media Thursday he was calling off a planned surge of immigration agents to San Francisco, but it was unclear if the president was canceling a National Guard deployment or calling off immigration enforcement by CBP agents — or what it meant for cities like Berkeley outside San Francisco.

In an email sent Thursday morning, the Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD) reminded the community that all schools are closed to the public and require visitor check-ins. The district does not allow immigration enforcement officers on any campus without a judicial warrant that is first reviewed by BUSD’s legal team.

The district urged all families, especially those who could be directly impacted, to be prepared by reviewing local immigrant resources, updating their child’s emergency contact card, and creating a preparedness plan. They cautioned families not to disclose their immigration status in any written communication, such as emails, to BUSD staff.

Some Berkeley day care facilities have been on heightened alert. The Child Education Center in West Berkeley told parents it was “securing campus” Thursday and Friday and not sending children on field trips out into the neighborhood as a precaution. BUSD’s statement didn’t spell out any particular protocols that would be altered this week.

BUSD community members are advised to promptly notify the main office and contact the rapid response line if they see ICE, or other federal immigration agents, near school grounds. Families who cannot pick up their children from school due to safety concerns should contact the school’s main office or after-school program to make arrangements, the district says.

BUSD said it is working with Berkeley’s sanctuary task force, the county education office, and other city agencies and local school districts. These efforts will include getting children safely to and from school and providing access to aid and resources.

“Together, we continue to stand as a community rooted in equity, inclusion, and safety,” the statement reads. “Please take the time to keep yourselves and one another safe and thank you for helping to ensure that our schools remain welcoming spaces where all of our students can learn, thrive, and belong.”

BUSD has been preparing for increased immigration enforcement since the start of the school year and earlier. During a know-your-rights webinar in late September, BUSD compliance officer Jasmina Viteskic informed families about some new district measures to keep children safe.

In addition to “you belong” posters, new signs are being developed by BUSD that indicate the school cannot assist with administrative warrants. “You got to go somewhere else, so don’t even bother coming in, because we can’t help you,” Viteskic said.

“It’s not always an honest approach by ICE. Therefore, regardless of the reason given, we will never provide a student or information unless the superintendent instructs us to do so,” she added.

Alejandra Frias Gonzalez, a family engagement and equity specialist at Sylvia Mendez Elementary School and who also serves as a liaison to the city’s sanctuary task force, said there are more workshops planned, including one on family preparedness plans.

“We hope to continue to collaborate and to provide these workshops until there is some change,” she said in an email to Berkeleyside.

Frias Gonzalez said community advocates are also working to ensure that all schools have private property messages and locked doors with camera and doorbell systems.

“This is not only helpful to prevent ICE from going in, but it was a system designed to protect schools in the event of a shooting,” Frias Gonzalez said. “I think today, with what is happening with immigration, families appreciate the safety it provides.”

Concerns of increased federal enforcement are also impacting UC Berkeley, which serves at least 500 undocumented students each year, according to its Undocumented Student Program.

In a message to the UC Berkeley community on Wednesday evening, Chancellor Rich Lyons said university staff are aware of reports of increased immigration enforcement potentially impacting the Bay Area. The email shared resources such as the university’s Berkeley Support Portal, wellness resources for undocumented graduate students, and advised students in need of additional aid to contact deanofstudents@berkeley.edu.

“Our mission and legal obligation drive us to ensure that the university remains safe and accessible to all our community members regardless of immigration status,” he said in the email. “Meantime, we ask you and all other members of our community to extend grace to one another, and especially to those most directly impacted.”

A separate message from the UC Berkeley Academic Senate on Thursday morning reminded instructors that they have the “authority to be flexible in providing support to students in need.” The email included links to guidance in case of disruptions to instruction.

“This is a moment that may create heightened fear for members of our community, and we ask that you act with grace towards students in your courses and provide supportive measures to the greatest extent possible,” the message reads.

Zac Farber contributed reporting to this story.

How Berkeley schools aim to keep students safe with feds in Bay Area

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