Equity in Civic Technology, Privacy & Data
Brief – Education Leaders’ Guide to Complying with Existing Student Privacy and Civil Rights Laws Amidst an Evolving Immigration Landscape

With immigration enforcement likely to intensify this year, it is critical that school administrators comply with existing privacy and civil rights laws with respect to the data they collect and the technology that they use. CDT research suggests that some schools are currently using data and technology to play a role in immigration enforcement. For example, 17 percent of teachers report that their school has shared student information with immigration enforcement in the past school year.
Further, despite Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) traditional policy of refraining from enforcement actions on K-12 school campuses, school officials should recognize that this is a norm – not a prohibition – and that schools need to be prepared to address potential enforcement on campus.
This document will provide background on how immigration enforcement may affect K-12 schools, and offers recommendations for how schools can meet long-standing legal obligations that remain unchanged regardless of increased enforcement activity.