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SF Unified Sends Robocall Promising To Protect Children During Trump Immigration Crackdown

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- The chaos and confusion surrounding President Trump's executive order banning immigration from 7 Muslim countries prompted San Francisco school officials to send out a robocall Monday morning reassuring parents their children would be safe during the crackdown.

The robocall basically stated that San Francisco Unified will protect all of the children in their schools regardless of their immigration status.

Furthermore, schools will not provide information about the status of any child without a court order.

    "You may have concerns that President Trump is calling for increased enforcement of federal immigration laws. We want to assure you that Mr. Trump's executive order does not have any affect on how we respond to our students' rights in San Francisco Public Schools. There are existing laws that help keep your children safe while in school, regardless of their immigration status and SFUSD staff will not cooperate with any official seeking information about your child unless they have a court order. If you are an SFUSD parent and have questions or concerns, you may call the office of Family Voice at 415 241 6150."

President Trump's executive order suspends refugee entry into the United States for 120 days and imposes a 90-day ban on immigration for people from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen. The order denies entry to Syrian refugees indefinitely.

The president's order sparked protests at airports around the country. It also prompted chaos among customs agents as to its implementation, with the Department of Homeland Security issuing advisories exempting green card holders, and the White House, later rescinding that exemption.

A federal judge in New York issued an eleventh hour emergency stay temporarily to halt the deportation of detainees after the American Civil Liberties Union filed a motion to block the ban.

Federal law requires that all children in the United States, living here legally or not, attend school through the eighth grade or until they turn 16. The law applies regardless of the immigration status of their parents, according to the Department of Education website.

According to data compiled by the California Department of Education, more than 100,000 immigrant children are enrolled in state school, roughly a third are from Mexico.

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