Trump Could Let ICE Into Schools — And Educators Are Getting Ahead Of It

The incoming administration is reportedly considering rolling back a policy that keeps immigration officials out of places like schools and churches.

Donald Trump ran for president largely on the promise that he would deport millions of undocumented immigrants ― and now, educators and immigration advocates are worried that he could put public school students and their families at risk of being targeted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Trump is considering revoking a rule that largely blocks ICE from making arrests in so-called sensitive locations such as schools and churches, NBC News reported in December. The Obama administration created the rule in 2011, and it has been in effect ever since, including through the first Trump administration. (The 1982 Supreme Court decision in Plyler v. Doe, which says all children are entitled to a public education regardless of their immigration status, would still stand.)

Even if there isn’t a widespread effort to allow ICE in schools, advocates are still worried that the fear of immigration officials in schools could have a detrimental effect on immigrant communities.

Any federal law would supersede the policies that a school district or locality has in place, and the incoming administration has already threatened Democratic-led states that have said they won’t comply with federal immigration policies. But some school administrators are taking steps to get ahead of any changes the Trump administration may make, including by reaffirming their longstanding policies against ICE entering their schools, and by training teachers about what rights the students and their families have.

In Palm Springs, California, the school board in December passed a resolution that affirmed its commitment to providing an education to all students regardless of their immigration status, as well as barring immigration enforcement officers from entering the schools without first going through the proper legal channels.