A special kind of American civics lesson took place last Thursday evening in the Franklin Elementary School gym. Three immigration attorneys walked two dozen Santa Barbara residents through their constitutional rights as people living on United States soil, regardless of their citizenship status.
The attorneys talked about protections afforded to all of us by the Fourth and Fifth Amendments: our right to secure ourselves and our homes against unreasonable search and seizure, and our right to remain silent. They also explained what to do — and, more importantly, what not to do — if confronted by federal immigration agents.
Franklin Principal David Bautista provided Spanish translation. He said afterward that the fear of deportation among his students and their parents since the election is palpable. At least one family, convinced they’ll soon be torn apart, decided to move back to their home country.