New Jersey teachers adapt as immigration

Teachers in New Jersey say they are preparing for a school year shaped by uncertainty for immigrant families. Federal immigration arrests in the state rose by nearly 150% from May to July, reaching the highest monthly level in at least four years, according to a report by Chalkbeat Newark.

At a recent rally outside a Newark detention facility, educators from Newark, Orange, and Passaic joined with labor unions to speak out against enforcement activity they say disrupts education. They described the steps they will take to support students grappling with these issues at home.

Classroom strategies vary

Some teachers plan to create spaces for students to talk through what they are seeing and hearing. Others aim to make room for students to process anxieties. Tracey Luz, a Newark Public Schools high school teacher in the immigrant-heavy Ironbound neighborhood, recalled a spring day when news of a nearby ICE raid at a seafood depot spread mid-class. Students, checking online sources, thought agents were at the school.

Luz said they were really upset. She clarified the situation and talked with them about it, telling them they have to keep one foot in the reality that these people are stalking your neighborhood and your family, but you also have to keep one foot in the reality that you’re a senior, and you’re going to graduate.

Integrating topics into curriculum

For some educators, the approach is more integrated. Terry Fitzgibbons, a U.S. history and geography teacher in Passaic Public Schools, focuses on building the topic into the curriculum itself. He weaves in lessons on migration, labor, and political movements, letting students engage on their own terms.

Fitzgibbons admitted he certainly doesn't have all the answers and can't 100% relate to what they're going through. A student comment from last year stayed with him, where a student said, hey Mr. Fitz, we are more vulnerable than we appear.

Balancing acknowledgment and routine

The current climate sometimes calls for acknowledging student experiences, even if it departs from usual classroom management. Former Newark physics teacher Bradley Gonmiah recalled a student pulling out a phone mid-class to show peers a post about nearby ICE activity. Instead of enforcing a no-phone rule, Gonmiah acknowledged the situation was messed up and a short conversation followed.

Yet, talking is not always the prescribed answer. Sonya Noebels, a math teacher at Orange High School, said she and colleagues try to keep routines consistent. They provide time where students don't have to focus on outside events. Noebels said some of these students who are living this just need a place where they know what’s going to happen.

Legal support and school resources

While teachers seek balance, some advocates say schools should offer more direct support. The New Jersey Consortium for Immigrant Children partners with Jersey City Public Schools to offer free legal services to high school students through its Beacon program. Attorney Katarina Martucci said other districts could replicate this. Students can enter the program independently if they prefer not to involve an adult.

Martucci's team also speaks with teachers who often feel unsure how to help. She suggests simple actions, like displaying pro-immigrant welcoming posters, can show students their existence at school is important and help build trust. In New Jersey, ICE agents generally cannot enter public schools without a judicial warrant, but state and local policies are not always clear to students. Teachers often become the ones to explain them.