50 signatures reached
To: Phoenix Union High School District & Board Members
Stop requiring driver licenses from students to receive a parking permit !
Since the school year started, Trevor G. Browne High School has asked students to present their driver's licenses to be able to park on campus. This requirement is being enforced even though the parking permit forms only ask for the vehicle license number and the signatures of the parents and the car owner. Driving is the safest means of transportation for many high school students and their siblings. The students who cannot receive a driver's license due to their immigration status are afraid, targeted, and excluded by this policy.
In the past Phoenix Union High School District (PXU) had declared its commitment to working with community members and community organizations to improve their policies and practices- including what information they should collect and how it is stored - to protect young people and their families’ immigration status. Although we understand that the district does not control who receives licenses, we believe they can control how they serve students in a state like Arizona which has denied undocumented people the right to obtain a driver's license.
The district must follow federal law which prohibits discrimination on the basis of national origin in educational programs and services. This means they should not collect information from students that has the effect of revealing their immigration status, and should not segregate undocumented students from on-campus parking. The district can also control what type of culture they want to foster. In this case, they have the choice to create a safe space for learning, dignity, and respect for our students rather than using safety issues as an excuse to police its students.
Why is this important?
PXU serves a majority of Latinx brown youth who already face the struggle against immigration policies that affect them and their families. Yet, many youth still continue to fight for a better tomorrow through their education. Many of those young people are also responsible for taking their siblings to school. Therefore, by requiring driver's licenses the district is not only stopping their students from attending school but many times their siblings as well.
At Puente, we envision a world where all people have the right to a good quality of life and are treated with dignity. We also believe schools are a place of transformation, where we can begin to experience change. We are asking students to join us and asking the district to:
- Parking should be open to all students that need it.
- Stop requiring driver licenses from students to receive a parking permit.
- Stop collecting information that can identify potential immigration status information.
- End policing culture and practices that create obstacles for students to access their education.