Sacramento Mayor Promises ICE Alerts, but District Seeks More

“We’re going to let districts know what we know. What we know, they’re going to know right away,” Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty said Tuesday.

The mayor’s pledge marks a sudden reversal on a policy intended to alert local schools when federal immigration enforcement activity occurs nearby. This shift comes after mounting pressure from school officials following a recent increase in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity in the capital region, Sacramento Bee reported.

While McCarty called the notification policy a “top priority,” leaders at the Sacramento City Unified School District (SCUSD) are already pushing for more than just a promise of information. The district is seeking immediate, concrete safety plans and direct communication lines with law enforcement to protect students and families facing heightened anxiety.

School districts demand immediate safety protocols

The urgency for the district follows reports that ICE agents detained the father of an Earl Warren Elementary School student near the campus on Monday. In response, district leaders held a news conference on Tuesday to demand direct radio communication between the SCUSD school safety team and the Sacramento Police Department.

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Beyond simple notifications, officials are calling for “sanctuary policies that place students and families at the forefront and are centered around how to prepare and how to respond,” according to the Sacramento Bee.

Cancy McArn, the superintendent of Sacramento City Unified, expressed a willingness to participate in a meeting with five other regional superintendents to discuss “enhanced communication.” However, she indicated in an email that the district still wants a separate, dedicated meeting to develop a specific school safety plan involving the school board, city council members, and interim Police Chief Zachary Bales.

“It’s great to bring all districts in the region together but it doesn’t address the request nor the urgency of SCUSD’s request considering this is clearly affecting our district the most,” said Jasjit Singh, a Sacramento City Unified trustee.

Singh also said that the district and the police currently lack a formal school safety agreement that outlines their specific responsibilities to one another.

The tension between city policy and classroom reality

Sacramento politics changed rapidly over the last week. Less than seven days ago, McCarty suggested a notification policy might be unlikely, citing concerns that alerting school officials could be viewed as interfering with federal operations and potentially exposing city employees to arrest.

McCarty stated he has since obtained “clarity” on the legalities of the matter. He said that because reports of enforcement activity have surfaced in areas like Northgate and throughout the city, the plan to convene a meeting includes six superintendents from districts that operate schools within city limits, including Natomas, Robla, San Juan, Elk Grove, and Twin Rivers.

“The big picture is we vehemently oppose ICE actions here. We want ICE out of Sacramento,” McCarty said.

Despite the mayor’s new stance, some local officials remain skeptical of the city’s pace. At a Tuesday council meeting, Trustee April Ybarra voiced frustration with the current level of commitment from the mayor and City Manager Maraskeshia Smith.

“I want to see action. I don’t want to see lip service. I don’t want to see statements,” Ybarra told the council, adding that she is “running out of patience.”

The human impact of the enforcement activity is felt most acutely in the classrooms. Jessica Martin, the principal of New Technology High School, described a campus defined by fear. At her school, where 73% of students are Latino, the atmosphere has become increasingly volatile.

“How can they focus on learning when they’re living with fear and uncertainty?” Martin asked the council. “This goes beyond the families that are directly affected. Their classmates feel it. The teachers feel it, and I feel it when students are sitting in my office crying their eyes out.”

A looming confrontation at City Hall

The disagreement between the school district and the city government appears to be moving toward a direct confrontation. Because the district feels the mayor’s plan to meet with all six regional superintendents ignores the specific, localized crisis facing Sacramento City Unified, leaders are planning to bypass the formal meeting structure if necessary.

Trustee Singh and Trustee Ybarra, alongside Superintendent McArn and district school safety director Ray Lozado, intend to go to City Hall this Friday afternoon.

“We will be at City Hall Friday,” Singh said in a post on Instagram. “I hope someone opens the door.”