Facts were the focus of a UFT workshop about how educators can support undocumented students and their families as the new administration steps up immigration enforcement. UFT members from the union’s English language learner focus group met on Jan. 23 at union headquarters to participate in a dry run of the presentation and give their feedback. The workshop was then offered online on different dates to UFT members. The initial workshop took place two days after the Trump administration rescinded a long-standing federal policy that made schools and other sensitive locations off-limits to immigration raids. The workshop, led by UFT ELL specialist Katherine Kurjakovic (above), reviewed relevant court precedents, how to discuss immigration with students in developmentally appropriate ways and how to make a schoolwide safety plan. The consensus among the participants was that protecting undocumented students and families is an education issue. Kim Silva, a special education teacher at Restart Academy in Manhattan, said she attended because persecution of undocumented immigrants “contradicts the values we’re trying to teach in our classrooms.” The UFT has aggregated information on the topic in Immigration student and family resources.