District Immigration Guidance
Letters from the Superintendent
- April 9, 2025: U.S. Department of Homeland Security Termination of Parole Letter
- January 22, 2025: Our Commitment to Welcoming School Communities
April 9, 2025: U.S. Department of Homeland Security Termination of Parole Letter
April 9, 2025
Dear BPS Community:
We want to take a moment to acknowledge a difficult situation affecting some of our students and families. The District is aware that several students received communication from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) titled “Termination of Parole,” informing them that the CHNV Parole Program is being terminated. We understand that this news will likely strike many as disheartening, frightening, and overwhelming. The communication from the Department includes recommendations to leave the United States immediately, as well as notice of parole termination and the end of employment authorization.
We want to assure our families of a critical and unwavering truth: the United States Supreme Court has affirmed that all students have the right to attend public schools regardless of their immigration status. All residents of Boston have the right to a free public education through Boston Public Schools. We remain fully committed to providing every student with a welcoming, supportive environment and a world class education.
If you have questions about what this DHS communication means for your family or need additional support, we encourage you to reach out to your School Leader, who can help point you to known resources. While BPS is not able to offer direct legal advice or representation, we are aware of community organizations that provide these services. A list of these resources can be found on our website under Family Resources. The direct link is: (https://www.bostonpublicschools.org/students-families/district-immigration-guidance/district-immigration-guidance-resources). We also want our community members to be cautious of non-attorneys charging attorneys fees for completing immigration related paperwork and scams; only immigration lawyers and accredited representatives should provide legal advice and help fill out forms.
We also encourage you to stay informed about what transpires with the CHNV program. Previously, in cases of other immigration programs (like TPS) that the new federal administration has sought to end, legal challenges have ensued, delaying the termination of the immigration program in question. For instance, DoeNoem, Case No. 1:25-cv-10495 (D. Mass.), is a lawsuit challenging the Executive Order directing DHS to end all several parole programs.
As your Superintendent, I want to personally express my care and concern for each and every student and family impacted by this situation. If a family or student receives a termination of parole letter, we ask that they speak with their School Leader in person or by phone.
Please know that you are not alone. We are here for you, and we will continue to stand beside our students and families during this uncertain time.
With care and solidarity,
Mary E. Skipper
Superintendent
Boston Public Schools
January 22, 2025: Our Commitment to Welcoming School Communities
Wednesday, January 22, 2025
Dear Boston Public Schools Community,
In Boston Public Schools, we celebrate our rich diversity, which contributes to a vibrant community and experience for all our students. When we welcome our more than 48,000 students into school every day, they deserve to be children–focused on learning in their classrooms, performing on stage, striving to be the best they can in their sport, or exploring their passion for learning and growing.
I want to both remind and reassure our BPS community of our responsibilities and legal obligation to our students and families.
- As public educators, our focus across BPS is to ensure that every student who resides in Boston has access to the quality public education they are entitled to, regardless of immigration status, their race and ethnicity, the language they speak or the area of the city they live.
- BPS cannot require or ask students or caregivers for information regarding immigration status or citizenship.
- BPS does not share personally identifiable student information with law enforcement or federal immigration enforcement agencies without a court order or lawfully issued subpoena, in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
- BPS cannot recognize administrative warrants, detainers, or other documents issued by an agency enforcing civil immigration law, as this is barred under FERPA.
- BPS complies with all laws, and we have a policy that no unauthorized adults are allowed into school buildings.
As part of an ongoing review of visitor and school safety guidelines, BPS has provided support to school administrators to ensure an understanding of their legal obligations to students under federal and state law, as well as District policy. Our team has provided guidance to school leaders and family-facing staff. We remain focused and committed to our responsibility to educate and care for ALL our students.
We will continue to provide information and aid to our parents and caregivers, sharing those resources in our nine major BPS languages. Our Family Resource Specialists will work closely with the community through our English Learner Advisory Committees. The BPS Helpline is available to answer questions from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays at 617-635-8873 or via email at helpline@bostonpublicschools.org. Additionally, the Office of Civil Rights will continue to enforce our policies prohibiting discrimination, including on the basis of national origin.
We will ensure that these District efforts are continuous as they reflect our values and commitment to all students and families in BPS. We will regularly communicate with our school communities and community partners, provide training and guidance opportunities to staff, and remain focused and committed to our responsibility to educate and care for all our students. I am humbled to be your Superintendent and look forward to learning with and from our community as we deliver on the promise of our mission: every student, every classroom, every school.
In partnership,
Mary Skipper
Superintendent