Schools Prepare for Trump's Immigration Raids; Democrats Divided on Response Strategy
A varied reaction highlights the political difficulties that major Democratic strongholds are experiencing as they deal with Trump's intensified immigration policies.
TroibNews 
Democrats and school officials are outraged by Donald Trump's initiative permitting immigration arrests at schools, leading to a conflict between their commitment to protect students and compliance with the president's new directives.
Officials in Los Angeles have announced they will not assist federal immigration enforcement due to a “moral obligation” to protect both students and staff. Meanwhile, the New York City school board recently passed a resolution reaffirming its support for undocumented students, even though Mayor Eric Adams has yet to make a definitive statement on the matter. Chicago has also chosen not to collaborate with federal agents, yet it plans to avoid obstructing their operations aimed at apprehending criminals.
“As long as the children are in school, we're going to protect them. We don't interact with ICE. We don't share information with ICE,” Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez stated.
This varied response reveals the political complexities faced by major Democratic strongholds, many of which consider themselves sanctuary cities, as they navigate Trump's stricter immigration enforcement. While they continue to assert their commitment to shielding students and teachers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, school leaders and Democratic officials seem uncertain about how far they can go to prevent federal actions on campus.
This uncertainty extends even into Republican-leaning states like Florida and Texas. In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott has publicly supported Trump's deportation goals, yet teachers who might generally back the president’s immigration stance are expressing worries about the potential impact on schools.
“Are people going to come to their classrooms? Are they going to pick up moms as they’re dropping kids off in front of a school and [teachers] are going to have to deal with the aftermath of that? Are they going to take kids if they take their parents at the same time?" Zeph Capo, president of the Texas American Federation of Teachers, highlighted.
In Florida, where Governor Ron DeSantis staunchly supports Trump’s deportation plan, officials in the Democratic-leaning Orlando region have cautioned school administrators not to interfere with federal authorities who might arrive on school grounds.
In Miami-Dade County, a school board member indicated that the largest district in Florida is awaiting guidance from the DeSantis administration and the Legislature on its role regarding immigration policy enforcement. Despite this, the school system has pledged to adhere to all local, state, and federal regulations. Neither the DeSantis administration nor state education authorities provided a response when asked about potential guidance for schools on immigration matters.
“We’re an educational institution, not a law enforcement entity for ICE,” Miami-Dade County school board member Steve Gallon III remarked during an interview with local media, which he subsequently shared on social media. “We’re not agents of ICE, we’re educators of children.”
This week, the Department of Justice threatened to investigate and prosecute any state or local entities that refuse to assist with heightened federal immigration enforcement efforts, indicating legal actions could challenge conflicting local laws. Such warnings are likely to create a conflict between local Democratic leaders and the federal government in states like California, where the Democratic attorney general has already cautioned local law enforcement against collaborating with federal authorities if it breaches state law.
The DOJ announcement coincided with a new Department of Homeland Security directive that categorizes schools and churches as appropriate sites for immigration arrests. In a January 20 memo to federal immigration and border officials, acting DHS Secretary Benjamine Huffman stated that officers should utilize “discretion along with a healthy dose of common sense” when operating “in a sensitive location.”
“It is not necessary, however, for the head of the agency to create bright line rules regarding where our immigration laws are permitted to be enforced,” Huffman added.
California school systems have indicated that they will not voluntarily collaborate with immigration authorities. The Los Angeles Unified School District, the second-largest in the nation, has adhered to a policy prohibiting voluntary cooperation with federal immigration enforcement since 2017. A district spokesperson mentioned a commitment to protecting the legal and privacy rights of students and employees, as well as ensuring every student’s constitutional right to a public education.
In Fresno, situated in a politically mixed district in California’s Central Valley, some schools and families have expressed “concerns and fears regarding immigration enforcement,” according to district spokesperson Nikki Henry.
“Our policy is clear and strong that immigration enforcement is not allowed on our campuses unless forced through a valid warrant or subpoena,” Henry asserted. “We’ve been in communication with local law enforcement who have assured us that they will not be supporting immigration enforcement across any of our schools either.”
To address these issues, Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, urged Trump to rescind the recent Department of Homeland Security directive in a letter acknowledging her union's belief in the urgent need for immigration reform.
In New York City, one of the country’s largest sanctuary cities, a clear stance on Trump’s reversal of previous policies discouraging immigration raids at schools has yet to be established. The city’s school board approved a resolution affirming support for undocumented students. City Council immigration chair Alexa Avilés has been in discussions with relevant agencies to determine if they have a plan and to ensure it is communicated effectively to municipal employees.
Although she feels many staff members “want to do what is right,” Avilés criticized Adams for being “awful” on the issue.
“He could actually have a very strong position and say wholeheartedly he stands with protecting our communities,” Avilés remarked regarding the mayor. “He’s more interested in currying favor with the federal administration than actually protecting New York City folks.”
Adams has refrained from publicly criticizing Trump, who has the authority to grant him a pardon from federal corruption charges. His administration is examining whether a policy requiring school principals to consult city attorneys upon an ICE appearance warrants further review.
“We’ve been having good conversations with [Immigration and Customs Enforcement],” Adams told reporters on Tuesday, shortly before a sit-down interview with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson. “We’re going to continue to do so. Our team knows how important it is to coordinate. And if you’re not at the table, you’re not able to give real good input.”
Meanwhile, the city’s powerful teachers union has affirmed that educators will prioritize protecting students.
Martinez from Chicago expressed concern that fear of immigration enforcement may lead parents to keep their children home from school.
“I don't want families to be so scared that they stay home like prisoners, not sending their children to school,” he stated. “We know that’s what happened during the pandemic and how much that hurt our children. We're still recovering from that.”
Eric He and Josh Gerstein contributed to this report.
Lucas Dupont for TROIB News
Officials in Los Angeles have announced they will not assist federal immigration enforcement due to a “moral obligation” to protect both students and staff. Meanwhile, the New York City school board recently passed a resolution reaffirming its support for undocumented students, even though Mayor Eric Adams has yet to make a definitive statement on the matter. Chicago has also chosen not to collaborate with federal agents, yet it plans to avoid obstructing their operations aimed at apprehending criminals.
“As long as the children are in school, we're going to protect them. We don't interact with ICE. We don't share information with ICE,” Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez stated.
This varied response reveals the political complexities faced by major Democratic strongholds, many of which consider themselves sanctuary cities, as they navigate Trump's stricter immigration enforcement. While they continue to assert their commitment to shielding students and teachers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, school leaders and Democratic officials seem uncertain about how far they can go to prevent federal actions on campus.
This uncertainty extends even into Republican-leaning states like Florida and Texas. In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott has publicly supported Trump's deportation goals, yet teachers who might generally back the president’s immigration stance are expressing worries about the potential impact on schools.
“Are people going to come to their classrooms? Are they going to pick up moms as they’re dropping kids off in front of a school and [teachers] are going to have to deal with the aftermath of that? Are they going to take kids if they take their parents at the same time?" Zeph Capo, president of the Texas American Federation of Teachers, highlighted.
In Florida, where Governor Ron DeSantis staunchly supports Trump’s deportation plan, officials in the Democratic-leaning Orlando region have cautioned school administrators not to interfere with federal authorities who might arrive on school grounds.
In Miami-Dade County, a school board member indicated that the largest district in Florida is awaiting guidance from the DeSantis administration and the Legislature on its role regarding immigration policy enforcement. Despite this, the school system has pledged to adhere to all local, state, and federal regulations. Neither the DeSantis administration nor state education authorities provided a response when asked about potential guidance for schools on immigration matters.
“We’re an educational institution, not a law enforcement entity for ICE,” Miami-Dade County school board member Steve Gallon III remarked during an interview with local media, which he subsequently shared on social media. “We’re not agents of ICE, we’re educators of children.”
This week, the Department of Justice threatened to investigate and prosecute any state or local entities that refuse to assist with heightened federal immigration enforcement efforts, indicating legal actions could challenge conflicting local laws. Such warnings are likely to create a conflict between local Democratic leaders and the federal government in states like California, where the Democratic attorney general has already cautioned local law enforcement against collaborating with federal authorities if it breaches state law.
The DOJ announcement coincided with a new Department of Homeland Security directive that categorizes schools and churches as appropriate sites for immigration arrests. In a January 20 memo to federal immigration and border officials, acting DHS Secretary Benjamine Huffman stated that officers should utilize “discretion along with a healthy dose of common sense” when operating “in a sensitive location.”
“It is not necessary, however, for the head of the agency to create bright line rules regarding where our immigration laws are permitted to be enforced,” Huffman added.
California school systems have indicated that they will not voluntarily collaborate with immigration authorities. The Los Angeles Unified School District, the second-largest in the nation, has adhered to a policy prohibiting voluntary cooperation with federal immigration enforcement since 2017. A district spokesperson mentioned a commitment to protecting the legal and privacy rights of students and employees, as well as ensuring every student’s constitutional right to a public education.
In Fresno, situated in a politically mixed district in California’s Central Valley, some schools and families have expressed “concerns and fears regarding immigration enforcement,” according to district spokesperson Nikki Henry.
“Our policy is clear and strong that immigration enforcement is not allowed on our campuses unless forced through a valid warrant or subpoena,” Henry asserted. “We’ve been in communication with local law enforcement who have assured us that they will not be supporting immigration enforcement across any of our schools either.”
To address these issues, Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, urged Trump to rescind the recent Department of Homeland Security directive in a letter acknowledging her union's belief in the urgent need for immigration reform.
In New York City, one of the country’s largest sanctuary cities, a clear stance on Trump’s reversal of previous policies discouraging immigration raids at schools has yet to be established. The city’s school board approved a resolution affirming support for undocumented students. City Council immigration chair Alexa Avilés has been in discussions with relevant agencies to determine if they have a plan and to ensure it is communicated effectively to municipal employees.
Although she feels many staff members “want to do what is right,” Avilés criticized Adams for being “awful” on the issue.
“He could actually have a very strong position and say wholeheartedly he stands with protecting our communities,” Avilés remarked regarding the mayor. “He’s more interested in currying favor with the federal administration than actually protecting New York City folks.”
Adams has refrained from publicly criticizing Trump, who has the authority to grant him a pardon from federal corruption charges. His administration is examining whether a policy requiring school principals to consult city attorneys upon an ICE appearance warrants further review.
“We’ve been having good conversations with [Immigration and Customs Enforcement],” Adams told reporters on Tuesday, shortly before a sit-down interview with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson. “We’re going to continue to do so. Our team knows how important it is to coordinate. And if you’re not at the table, you’re not able to give real good input.”
Meanwhile, the city’s powerful teachers union has affirmed that educators will prioritize protecting students.
Martinez from Chicago expressed concern that fear of immigration enforcement may lead parents to keep their children home from school.
“I don't want families to be so scared that they stay home like prisoners, not sending their children to school,” he stated. “We know that’s what happened during the pandemic and how much that hurt our children. We're still recovering from that.”
Eric He and Josh Gerstein contributed to this report.
Lucas Dupont for TROIB News
