‘Every child welcome’ in SLC schools, district says in response to Trump immigration orders

SALT LAKE CITY — The Salt Lake City School District responded Tuesday to recent executive orders and policy changes by President Donald Trump on the subject of immigration, offering resources to its students, families and staff.

On Tuesday, the Trump administration said it overturned a policy that’s been in effect since 2011. Federal immigration agencies will now be allowed to make arrests in schools, churches and hospitals.

The change was enacted the same day Utah lawmakers convened for the 2025 legislative session, where the immigration topic is expected to be hot, with 10 drafted measures already in the works.

In a letter sent Wednesday, the district reminded staff of the procedure when an immigration official “requests access to a student,” implemented by the school board: “the district employee receiving that request should immediately contact the district’s general counsel.”

Further, the letter addressed families, listing “important things” to keep in mind:

1.    Please know that your child – and every child, regardless of immigration status – is welcome in our schools. Undocumented children and young adults still have the same right to attend public primary and secondary schools as U.S. citizens and permanent residents.

2.    For many reasons, it is important for parents/guardians to make sure their own contact information and the contact information for their student’s emergency contacts is up to date. This can be done by speaking with the secretary at your student’s school. Each student should have at least two emergency contacts. These individuals do not need to be family members; they can be any trusted adult designated by the student’s parent/guardian.

3.    Our schools and school district do NOT collect information related to any student or family members’ immigration status. Because we do not collect this information, it is not information we can provide to any law enforcement agency.

4.    Salt Lake City School District public schools will not initiate engagement with federal immigration authorities for the purpose of sharing student information.

5.    We have counselors at every one of our schools who are available to talk with your student if they experience any anxiety, stress, or fears related to the federal policy changes.

The district said it was committed to “providing an equitable, inclusive and supportive learning environment to every student.”

On Monday, Trump signed an order in the Oval Office declaring a national emergency on the southern border, and allocating Pentagon resources to build the border wall. One of the first actions taken by the Trump administration was to deactivate an app that helps migrants claim asylum with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

In another order signed by Trump Monday, birthright citizenship will be challenged by prohibiting federal agencies from granting certain documents normally provided to a U.S. citizen to children born after 30 days of the order. Though the move is likely to face legal challenges and is expected to be heard by the Supreme Court, many concerns have been voiced locally and on social media.

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This is a developing story. It may be updated.