By admin 
SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – School leaders across San Diego are trying to allay fears about President-elect Trump’s plan for mass deportations.
The principal of Perkins K-8 School hears these fears every day.
“We will continue to ensure that our families understand that safety is our top concern, regardless of where the threat comes from,” said Director Fernando Hernandez.
Hernandez has been principal of the school in Barrio Logan for more than 20 years. Most students live in poverty. Many families live in shelters. Some live in their cars, but once on campus they are treated equally.
“Every child is valued, supported and loved, and we strive to create strong bonds with each family,” said Hernandez.
Natasha Martinez is a newly hired special education assistant. Martinez’s children are enrolled in the school. The family applies for asylum in Venezuela.
“My daughters here have great opportunities. I was a teacher in my home country and I am thrilled to continue my profession here,” she said in Spanish.
About 35 other families from Venezuela have children at this school.
Martinez says she is not concerned about mass deportations under a second Trump administration.
She says she has been treated and cleared to work.
“As long as we follow the law, we do everything by the book. We don’t have to worry about anything,” Martinez said.
Principal Hernandez says he wants every student to feel at home.
“What we’re doing is creating a very strong sense of belonging, a sense of family.”
Under federal law, all children, regardless of immigration status, have the right to attend public schools. Immigration customs enforcement is not allowed in schools, and agents cannot arrest, interview, or monitor students in schools. San Diego County schools do not track immigration status, but it is estimated that about 9% of California students have at least one undocumented parent.
“Many of our students live in what’s called a mixed-status family; you may have siblings, some of whom are documented, some of whom are not. There may be a parent who is another parent who is not; that is a very common reality for many of our students and families,” said San Diego Unified School Trustee Richard Barrera.
Under the first Trump administration, San Diego Unified and other local school districts announced that their campuses would become a refuge from efforts to deport students.
“It’s the incredible damage that can be done to a community like San Diego if you take the rhetoric at face value, and we have to, and we have to be prepared for it,” Barrera said.
“Their stress levels have increased because they fear they are being targeted by the new administration’s policies,” said Director Hernandez.