Leandra Blades, trustee of the Placentia-Yorba Linda Board of Education, took to social media with her full proposed resolution, which would include allowing ICE in schools and “district property" without warrants, claiming it is in compliance with California’s new 2026 Board Policy 1445.
Leandra states she is following California BP/AR 1445; however, upon examination, her resolution selectively invokes language favoring cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement while omitting the policy’s access-denial requirements.
BP 1445 has two pillars that coexist to protect students. It directs that staff may not grant permission to immigration officers to enter non-public areas of campuses, district-provided transportation, or areas where district-sponsored activities may occur. If any officer enters anyway, staff may not physically obstruct or interfere. This clause exists to avoid staff from being criminalized, from escalation, and to maintain legal compliance, not cooperation.
In Blade’s resolution, she lifts only the non-obstruction language as affirmative support for federal immigration enforcement in the schools. Her resolution omits prohibition-language entirely, including denying consent to immigration enforcement officers, restricting access, protecting non-public areas, and family notification rights.
During Donald Trump’s first term in 2018, the California Legislature added EC 234.7 to safeguard students and school communities from potential increased federal immigration enforcement actions. In early 2025, DHS rescinded its longstanding policy limiting immigration enforcement in schools and other "sensitive locations,” prompting the California Legislature to amend EC 234.7 to strengthen protections for students, their family and staff.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta revised the model policy language in light of recent changes, which schools have until March 1 to revise their policy to adhere to the attorney general’s own revision, and upload them to a California Department of Education online portal.
In her proposal, Blades states, “NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Placentia-Yorba Linda Board of Education affirms its support for local law enforcement offices and federal immigration officers who carry out their duties professionally, and lawfully; per PYLUSD Board Policy 1445…”
This is followed by, “district staff shall not obstruct, interfere with or otherwise impede…”
This removes the legal context that this applies only after unauthorized entry occurs.
The official Board Policy does not authorize ICE access to PYLUSD schools and does not override California law, which will continue to prohibit school staff from granting consent for immigration enforcement to enter non-public areas without a judicial subpoena, judicial warrant or court order. If any school staff were to “let ICE in” without proper legal authorization, it would be unlawful.
Blades has indicated an intent to advance the resolution this Tuesday, but it has not yet been formally added to the agenda.
On a Facebook comment thread, an angry resident stated to Blades, “Should my child have to carry proof that he’s not a criminal just to exist without being targeted? That is not protection. That is hypocrisy.”
Blades responds asking her if she even read her resolution, and also states, “Why would we only target Hispanics? We have a very large Asian community of immigrants as well.”
While speaking about her stance in a livestream on January 30th, she responds that she believes in “just cooperating with ICE. Cooperating with law enforcement, um and you know, cooperation.”
“There’s several examples, you know from teachers handing out ICE cards and showing how NOT to cooperate… somebody has to lead this and say yes we will cooperate because we have a lot of teachers who are saying I won't let ICE here.”
Leandra also states on the livestream that ICE cards, which provide very basic constitutional rights, are actually getting students in trouble for being “misinformed.”
“Cooperate. It’s like the ICE ICE baby stuff. Stop. Cooperate and listen.”
According to the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District, Leandra Blades attended both Rio Hondo College in Whittier and Long Beach City College. She then served as a police officer in Los Angeles county for 13 years, during which time, was co-captain for her department’s “Baker to Vegas” relay team before retiring as a Corporal/Field Training officer in 2012. Blades was first elected as a member of the PYLUSD Board of Education in 2020.
