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Teachers across the United States have filed detailed testimonials describing how the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies have disrupted education and created an atmosphere of fear in schools, according to court documents filed Thursday.
The testimonials form part of a lawsuit challenging a policy change that removed longstanding protections for schools, houses of worship, and medical facilities from immigration enforcement actions. The legal challenge was originally brought by an Oregon farmworkers union and several churches, with the American Federation of Teachers, National Education Association, and three preschool employees joining the suit in September.
Educators described how immigration enforcement has directly impacted their classrooms and students’ ability to access education. In one account, a middle school teacher reported that half of their students stayed home amid rumors of nearby immigration enforcement operations. Later, a student from the same school was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) while waiting at a bus stop.
“In recent months — and escalating in the past several weeks — immigration enforcement agents have made startling incursions into cities and towns around the country, including unprecedented and unrestrained surges in and around vital community institutions such as schools and healthcare facilities,” attorneys wrote in their petition asking a judge to halt the policy while the lawsuit proceeds.
For more than three decades, the federal government had prohibited immigration authorities from making arrests in schools and houses of worship. These protections were expanded over time to include hospitals and homeless shelters, ensuring that immigration enforcement would not restrict access to essential services.
Shortly after President Trump took office, his administration rescinded this policy. In its place, officials issued a brief memo advising officers to use “a healthy dose of common sense” when deciding whether to conduct enforcement actions near protected locations. The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the lawsuit.
Administration officials have previously defended the policy change, arguing that making schools and other spaces off-limits to immigration enforcement could turn them into refuges for criminals. While ICE has stated it does not target schools for enforcement operations, several incidents have occurred where immigration authorities have pursued or detained individuals on or near school property.
In Chelsea, Massachusetts, teachers union president Kathryn Anderson said immigration enforcement has been more disruptive to learning than the COVID pandemic. The school system has lost a significant number of students this year, with absenteeism higher than usual.
“Right now, kids of all backgrounds are being prevented from going to school because of the extremely real fear that either they or their family members will be separated,” said Anderson, who is not part of the lawsuit. “As an educator… having to help kids move through and exist in that fear has been a near impossible task.”
The court filing included anonymous testimony from 60 teachers and healthcare workers across 18 states. One high school teacher reported that many students, including immigrants still learning English, switched to virtual learning after a parent was arrested by ICE at a school bus stop. However, the virtual option is only offered in English, raising concerns that these students are falling behind academically.
Several troubling incidents were highlighted in the legal documents. In Chicago, agents reportedly released tear gas that engulfed a school playground during an operation in October. They later arrested a teacher inside her preschool during morning drop-off. DHS claimed agents had attempted to pull over her car before she reached school and said she barricaded herself inside, forcing agents to enter. The woman, who has work authorization, was eventually released.
In Minneapolis, agents scuffled with bystanders after pursuing a man onto a high school campus as school was ending for the day. In Oregon, ICE agents attempted to arrest a man in a preschool parking lot after he dropped off his infant son.
A speech pathologist described tearful meetings with immigrant parents who feared that signing documents to secure special education services for their children would draw unwanted attention from immigration authorities.
The lawsuit represents a significant challenge to the administration’s immigration enforcement approach, particularly as it affects educational institutions and the vulnerable student populations they serve.
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10 Comments
This is a complex issue, but the priority should be ensuring all children have access to a quality education regardless of their immigration status. Disrupting the classroom and deterring students from attending school is extremely harmful.
It’s alarming to hear about students staying home or being detained at bus stops due to immigration enforcement near schools. This creates an atmosphere of fear that is antithetical to the purpose of education.
Agreed. Schools should be safe, welcoming environments focused on learning, not places where students have to worry about being targeted by immigration authorities.
This policy change seems to have had a severe negative effect on schools and students. Allowing immigration enforcement at schools is likely to deter many undocumented students from attending, which is extremely detrimental to their education.
The testimonials from teachers highlight the real-world impacts of this policy change on students and their education. It’s critical that legal challenges like this one succeed in reinstating protections for schools from immigration enforcement.
Absolutely. Schools must be safe spaces focused on learning, not sites of immigration enforcement. Hopefully the courts will recognize the harm being done to students and rule accordingly.
This is a concerning situation. Teachers should be able to focus on educating students without worrying about immigration enforcement disrupting their classrooms. It’s important to balance security concerns with ensuring all children have access to education.
I agree. Schools should be safe havens where students can learn without fear of deportation. Striking that balance is critical.
The impact on students’ education is very troubling. No child should have to miss school or live in fear because of their immigration status. I hope the legal challenge leads to clearer protections for schools.
Absolutely. Education is a fundamental right that should not be denied due to immigration enforcement actions. The wellbeing of students must be the top priority.