Proposed CA bill would offer protection to immigrant children in schools, child care facilities

LOS ANGELES -- A Southern California assemblymember has introduced a bill that would offer protection to immigrant children.

According to the office of Al Muratsuchi, Assembly Bill 49 - also known as the California Safe Haven Schools and Child Care Act - would protect immigrant children from actions by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers who enter school sites or child care facilities.

The bill would prohibit school or child care employees from allowing ICE officers to enter a school or child care facility for any purpose without providing valid identification, a written statement of purpose, a valid judicial warrant, and approval from the school district's superintendent or director of the child care center.

The bill also would require that if an ICE official meets the requirements to enter either facility, their access would be restricted to school or child care facilities where students or children are not present.

"All children have a constitutional right to attend public schools, regardless of immigration status," said Muratsuchi in a statement. "Unfortunately, the threat of federal immigration officials coming onto school grounds to detain undocumented students or family members casts a shadow of fear over all California students. Students cannot learn if they are living in fear of being deported or separated from their family members. This bill is necessary because children should not be afraid to come to school, and parents should not be afraid to send their children to school."

Last month, President-elect Donald Trump confirmed he would declare a national emergency to carry out his campaign promise of mass deportations of migrants living in the U.S. without legal permission.

He pledged to get started on mass deportations as soon as he enters office.

"On Day 1, I will launch the largest deportation program in American history to get the criminals out," he said during a rally at Madison Square Garden in the closing days of the presidential race. "I will rescue every city and town that has been invaded and conquered, and we will put these vicious and bloodthirsty criminals in jail, then kick them the hell out of our country as fast as possible."

Already, he's tapped several immigration hard-liners to serve in key Cabinet positions. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem was picked to be homeland security secretary, pending Senate confirmation. Former Acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Tom Homan was named "border czar."

ABC News contributed to this report.