This is an article from the June 2025 Civitas Examiner (Volume 2, No. 3) and was written by one of our students, Reid F. The opinions expressed herein do not reflect those of Civitas other than respect for the value of open dialogue. To read more Civitas Examiner stories or to submit your own, click here.
The Trump Administration’s renewed focus on deportations has alarmed many. Schools may be particularly vulnerable, with many students’ families already facing deportations in their homes and communities, and the increased potential for immigration enforcement activity on school property.
In the past, some places within the community have been considered protected areas that immigration enforcement officers are advised to stay away from in most circumstances. In 2021, former Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Alejandro N. Mayorkas issued a directive stating that the department should avoid enforcement actions that would prevent or discourage people from accessing essential services and activities. A list of these areas includes “a school, such as a pre-school, primary or secondary school, vocational or trade school, or college or university” as well as “a place where children gather, such as a playground, recreation center, childcare center, before- or after-school care center, foster care facility, group home for children, or school bus stop.”
However, according to a statement on the DHS website, Acting Secretary Benjamine Huffman issued a directive rescinding this Biden Administration guideline. Secretary Huffman’s January 20, 2025 “Enforcement Actions in or Near Protected Areas” memorandum says that “officers frequently apply enforcement discretion to balance a variety of interests,” and should “continue to use that discretion along with a healthy dose of common sense.” This approach gives more leeway for officers to make the decision of whether to enter protected areas. A DHS spokesperson claimed that this would allow Customs and Border Protection as well as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to enforce immigration laws, and that “Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches,” a statement portraying this decision as a matter of community safety.
However, many school employees see this change as posing a danger to the community. The National Education Association (NEA), a labor union for educators and other school employees, has criticized the Trump Administration’s immigration policies. Their president, Becky Pringle, stated in a press release in January that “the incoming Trump administration is committed to a mass deportation agenda that will inflict irreversible harm on our students, their families and communities.” The association has released guidelines to advise school employees on how to best protect their students. For example, the NEA’s “Mass Raids FAQ” recommends that schools host workshops advising students and families of their rights, locate immigration attorneys and interpreters who could be helpful in the event of a raid or other emergency, and gain contact information for both foreign consulates and detention centers in the area.
The NEA’s statements reflect the feelings and reactions of many school employees and districts throughout the nation. The Los Angeles Unified School District, which serves an area that has been heavily impacted by the changes in ICE activity, has published a news release on its website from its superintendent, Alberto M. Carvalho, condemning immigration enforcement activity that has occurred near Los Angeles schools. In it, he writes that recent immigration enforcement activity has caused “unnecessary fear, confusion, and trauma” and that the presence of immigration officials threatens the right to “places where every child can learn, grow, and thrive.”
With Trump’s recent Truth Social post stating that the government “must expand efforts to detain and deport Illegal Aliens in America’s largest Cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York,” it can be expected that many more schools across the country will have to consider their approach to these changes.
