Parriva's Team
[caption id="attachment_57277" align="aligncenter" width="194"]
“We face many problems today; we can’t ignore them. We have to tackle them, come up with solutions,” and she said.[/caption]
“Everything that happens in political discussion is very personal for me,” said Sasha Renée Pérez in an interview with Parriva a few months ago. At the time, she was preparing for the election that would make her the state senator representing District 25, and in the interview, she explained her social commitment to the communities. She is demonstrating this now, as the immigrant community is under attack.
Renée Pérez has introduced an urgent initiative for California students to be notified by educational institutions if ICE agents are conducting operations in or around their facilities.
The SB 98, the Sending Alerts to Families in Education (SAFE) Act, was introduced in response to the Trump Administration rescinding guidance from the Biden Administration that established “protected areas,” including places where students gather.
The immigration situation has become chaotic, full of uncertainties. California has declared itself a sanctuary state, as have many cities within the state. However, proposals like SB 98 are necessary to take an additional step in protecting the immigrant community.
In the early days of the administration, the number of operations carried out by ICE and other agencies has gradually increased, from two or three thousand deportations initially to a figure that has not been disclosed recently.
Pro-immigrant organizations, community leaders, and California politicians have chosen information distribution as a means of protection, but SB 98 seeks to take this political struggle to the next level.
Under Pérez's bill, schools and college campuses would alert students, parents, faculty, and staff if immigration officers are on site.
The emergency notification system would function similarly to those used for active shooter situations, instantly sending emails and text messages.
Pérez is considering introducing the legislation as an urgency bill, a type of legislation that goes into effect immediately once signed by Governor Gavin Newsom, according to The Sacramento Bee. The University of California Student Association (UCSA) is sponsoring this legislation.
Approximately 272,000 students enrolled in California public schools or colleges could face deportation, according to figures from the Migration Policy Institute.
Besides Pérez, other legislators from L.A. County have introduced their own bills to protect students and families in schools from immigration enforcement officers.
“People who know me say I have clean glasses. I think change is possible; little by little, we can make a difference. We will get there,” she says in the past interview.
“We face many problems today; we can’t ignore them. We have to tackle them, come up with solutions,” and she concludes by saying, “I’m happy. I feel incredibly blessed.”
These bills have not yet been heard in committees.
Sasha Renée Pérez: “Everything that happens in political discussion is very personal for me.”