The Student Safety Act or AB217 prohibited school employees from giving federal immigration agents access to school property without a warrant. It also prohibited schools from sharing student information with immigration authorities.
The veto sends a clear message to immigrant families, said Tony Ramirez, director of government affairs for Make the Road Nevada.
“We’re incredibly upset. We made this bill bipartisan. Changes were made to make this bill bipartisan. So we’re incredibly upset that the governor chose to veto that. What message is the governor trying to send? That there are no safe places? That ICE could come into your school? That's the message that he's sending that he does not care about children,” Ramirez said.
The bill was necessary because fear of immigration enforcement is already disrupting students’ lives, he said.
“We're seeing an increase in absentees and people are not taking their children to school because they're fearful for themselves, fearful of what could happen to their children, and that's why we feel the bill was needed,” Ramirez said.
In his veto message, Lombardo called the bill “well-intentioned” but “overbroad.”
He said it could confuse school staff about what they’re allowed to do and put them in difficult legal situations, especially if immigration agents arrive during an emergency. He believes the bill would have made schools off-limits to immigration officers at all times, which he considers too extreme.
