Efforts to Protect Students from Immigration Enforcement on School Grounds Intensify

The start of the 2026-27 school year has brought renewed attention to the issue of immigration enforcement on or near school grounds. According to Adaku Onyeka-Crawford, an attorney and director for the Opportunity to Learn Program at the Advancement Project, students are returning to classrooms under the weight of converging threats, including immigration enforcement.

## Concerns About Student Safety In 2025 and 2026, there were at least 17 documented incidents of ICE activity on school properties, with many additional locally reported incidents off school grounds. Moira Kaleida, national coalition director for the Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools, noted that last year was one of the hardest and most heartbreaking school years, especially for Black and brown students. Kaleida cited incidents in Minneapolis, Illinois, and Connecticut, where ICE invaded school property and abducted children off the street and outside of school buildings.

## State and Local Responses Some states and cities have taken measures to limit ICE activity on school grounds. For example, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey signed the PROTECT Act into law, which prevents warrantless immigrant arrests at schools and childcare centers. In Los Angeles, volunteer teachers are coordinating with a grassroots organization to patrol for and document federal immigration enforcement vehicles. In Baltimore, a proposal seeks to expand the city's Safe Passage Program to protect students against ICE enforcement as they travel to and from schools.

## Lawsuits and Legislation Lawsuits challenging the Trump administration's policy on immigration enforcement on school grounds are making headway, despite facing roadblocks. Two Minnesota school districts, Fridley Public Schools and Duluth Public Schools, have asked the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota to make a decision in their case. The districts argue that ICE activity on school grounds has diverted considerable time and resources, including increasing transportation costs, and has led to drops in student attendance. Meanwhile, at least six states have introduced legislation that would monitor children lacking permanent legal status or exclude them from public education, although none of these efforts have succeeded so far.

## Comparison of State Policies The following table compares the policies of different states and cities regarding ICE activity on school grounds: | State/City | Policy | | --- | --- | | Massachusetts | PROTECT Act: prevents warrantless immigrant arrests at schools and childcare centers | | Los Angeles | Volunteer teachers patrolling for and documenting federal immigration enforcement vehicles | | Baltimore | Proposal to expand Safe Passage Program to protect students against ICE enforcement | | Minnesota | Lawsuit challenging Trump administration's policy on immigration enforcement on school grounds | | Illinois | ICE activity on school grounds reported in 2025 and 2026 | | Connecticut | ICE activity on school grounds reported in 2025 and 2026 |