Many families say they're feeling fear and anxiety as the country prepares for the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump.
Trump has promised mass deportations, perhaps beginning on day one, and that has schools across the nation preparing for the possibility.
"For sure what is the issue right now is the anxiety of not knowing what’s going to happen," Franklin-McKinley School District Superintendent Juan Cruz said.
For years, Cruz has had to face and console worried families, many with American-born children but undocumented immigrant parents.
"More than anything it’s to educate and make sure that people understand what is happening and how we are responding like we’ve always responded," Cruz said.
This week, California Attorney General Rob Bonta held a know-your-rights event, releasing tips and resources for school administrators and undocumented families.
"Let's me clear here on these issues: every child has the right to a free public education regardless of their immigration status," Bonta said. "Every child and family also has the right to keep their education records and personal information confidential."
The advice comes at a time of growing fear among the immigrant community. That fear is also the reason state lawmakers are considering SB 48. The bill would establish a one-mile radius safe zone around schools, prohibiting ICE from entering a school without a warrant.
Cruz said his district has been operating under these circumstances for years.
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"This is not new to our schools and our families," he said. "We serve a population of immigrant families. This has always been a fear that ICE has an impact on those families."
There are 11 million immigrants in California, making up one-third of the state’s workforce.
Supporters of Trump say those who are in the country legally have no reason to be concerned.
Bonta said he sued the Trump administration 120 times during his last term over a host of issues and said he's ready to do it again if necessary.
