Edmonds School District cancels ‘Know Your Rights’ info session after online backlash
The district said the session was to provide information and resources students, regardless of immigration status.
Author: Sharon Yoo
Published: 5:42 PM PST December 10, 2024
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LYNNWOOD, Wash. — The Edmonds School District canceled an upcoming informational meeting for people who are undocumented, after facing harassment and backlash online.
The ‘Know Your Rights’ session was set to happen next week at Meadowdale High School in Lynnwood. The district also invited representatives from the Mexican Consulate of Seattle to share consular services information. A district spokesperson said they were inspired a similar session hosted by Shoreline Police on Dec. 5.
These “Know Your Rights” sessions are frequently led by immigrant rights advocacy groups. Northwest Immigrant Rights Project is one of many of those groups that is invited by different entities like school districts, churches and community centers to present them.
Malou Chavez, the executive director of NWIRP, said the meetings are straightforward.
“These are just what they are, information sharing, correct information about our legal and constitutional rights everyone regardless of the persons immigration status has rights,” Chavez said.
However, when the Edmonds School District posted about their upcoming “Know Your Rights” session, they faced immediate online backlash with threats made toward potential attendees saying things like “happy hunting everyone” and how “the meeting would be a great place to start a roundup.”
This led to the district cancelling the session completely.
“It is certainly absurd what is happening online,” Head Consul of Mexico in Seattle Hector Ivan Godoy Priske said. “We have seen this kind of misinformation and those that traffic in misinformation are always very excited when they can whip up an online mob of some kind.”
Priske said misinformation has also spread about the consulate’s role in these sessions, accusing the consulate of sharing methods on how to evade Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents. Priske said the consulate’s role is to provide information about consular services, like how to replace a missing passport. He also said they share information related to labor and health rights, like having the right to receive fair wages and overtime.
This flyer summarizes other information shared by organizers of meetings like these.
“When someone shows up to your door and it’s a law enforcement officer do they have a warrant? Do you open the door? Do you speak with them?” Chavez said, when asked what kind of questions they aim to answer with the meetings.
Chavez added the sessions are for everyone regardless of immigration status. She said they usually see U.S. citizens who are allies or stakeholders, like teachers, employers and neighbors.
“The U.S. is a democracy after all and we wanting to make sure there is correct information out there,” Chavez said. She added that undocumented immigrants, despite their immigration status, do have rights that are protected in the United States.