Pajaro Valley school board delays immigration enforcement policy updates

Trustees seek more clarity on language around protecting student privacy and limiting ICE access to campuses.

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees voted to delay updates to the district's immigration enforcement and student protection policies in order to incorporate a trustee's recommendations for clearer language around protecting student privacy and limiting federal immigration enforcement access to campuses.

Why it matters

The updates were intended to align the district's procedures with recent state guidance on responding to requests for information from immigration authorities. The board's decision to table the revisions reflects an ongoing effort by local governments in the region to limit ICE's ability to operate in their communities and protect immigrant students and families.

The details

The proposed policy updates would have clarified that district staff cannot disclose student or family immigration status without a judicial warrant, subpoena or court order, and that administrative warrants do not authorize access to school sites or records. However, trustee Gabe Medina felt the language needed more specificity to truly safeguard students, such as requiring legal counsel review before releasing any information and prohibiting the sharing of student addresses or bus route details.

  • The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees voted on the policy updates on February 27, 2026.
  • The board plans to revisit the revised policies at a future meeting after incorporating Medina's suggested changes.

The players

Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees

The governing body of the Pajaro Valley Unified School District, which voted to delay updates to the district's immigration enforcement and student protection policies.

Gabe Medina

A trustee who felt the proposed policy language needed more specificity to truly protect immigrant students and families.

Heather Contreras

The superintendent of Pajaro Valley Unified School District, who stated the revised policies had already undergone legal review.

Misty Navarro

A trustee who supported Medina's recommendations but felt the updates needed to comply with state guidance.

California Attorney General

Issued updated guidelines that the Pajaro Valley Unified School District's policy revisions were intended to align with.

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What they’re saying

“PVUSD has long maintained strong protections for student access, privacy and nondiscrimination.”

— Michael Berman, Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services, Pajaro Valley Unified School District (santacruzsentinel.com)

“These updates continue that work by aligning our procedures with current state guidance while reinforcing our commitment to safe and welcoming schools.”

— Michael Berman, Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services, Pajaro Valley Unified School District (santacruzsentinel.com)

“The language that has come before you is being brought before you because we needed to update this. It's an existing board policy we had. We legally had to bring it forward as procedural and compliance to update it, so it met legal procedures that we needed to have.”

— Heather Contreras, Superintendent, Pajaro Valley Unified School District (santacruzsentinel.com)

“It doesn't sound like people were very thoughtful about protecting our students with the language.”

— Gabe Medina, Trustee, Pajaro Valley Unified School District (santacruzsentinel.com)

“This doesn't have to be the end of this. We can always bring it back next month and be more specific with the details.”

— Misty Navarro, Trustee, Pajaro Valley Unified School District (santacruzsentinel.com)

What’s next

The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees plans to revisit the revised immigration enforcement and student protection policies at a future meeting after incorporating trustee Gabe Medina's suggested changes to strengthen the language around protecting student privacy and limiting ICE access to campuses.

The takeaway

The Pajaro Valley school board's decision to delay updating its immigration enforcement policies reflects an ongoing effort by local governments in the region to balance compliance with state guidance while prioritizing the safety and privacy of immigrant students and families in their communities.