Important Legislation

1. California’s SAFE Act (SB 98) – Sending Alerts to Families in Education

• Enacted: September 20, 2025

• Purpose: Enhances campus safety by requiring transparent notification procedures regarding immigration enforcement activity

• Requirements: * All School Districts and County Offices of Education must update their comprehensive school safety plans to include specific procedures for notifying students, parents, and staff when ICE is present on campus

• Scope: Applies to TK-12 schools, community colleges, CSU campuses, and private colleges receiving Cal Grants

• Compliance Deadline: Safety plans must be updated no later than March 1, 2026

2. Safe Havens Schools Act (AB 49)

• Purpose: Protects student records and ensures family privacy by limiting ICE access to school sites

• Key Protections:

  • Privacy: Schools are prohibited from collecting information or documents regarding the citizenship or immigration status of students or their family members

  • Site Access: Prohibits schools from allowing ICE to enter a schoolsite for any purpose without providing a valid ID and a judicial warrant

  • Child Care: These protections extend to employees of state or federally supported child care programs, who may not allow ICE entry without a judicial warrant

• Purpose: Ensures accountability and identifiability of law enforcement officers during the performance of their duties

• Key Requirements:

  • Masking Prohibition: Prohibits local and federal law enforcement from concealing their faces with "extreme masking."

  • Accountability: Declares it a crime for officers to wear facial coverings while performing their duties (with limited legal exceptions)

  • Agent Identification: ICE agents must remain identifiable by name or badge number; masks cannot be worn except when absolutely necessary