This Harvard white paper explores whether schools can safely track immigrant background in school climate surveys amid heightened immigration enforcement and fear. Drawing on interviews with administrators, immigrant youth, and immigrant parents, it finds that while such data could help identify bullying and target supports, families and staff worry about misuse or surveillance risk. It recommends avoiding direct birthplace/citizenship questions for now, using confidential and translated surveys, and pairing any data collection with real actions that make schools feel safer.
