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North Texas school districts should prepare for possible immigration enforcement, advocate says

rows of empty desks in a classroom
Yfat Yossifor
/
KERA
Immigration authorities can now conduct arrests in schools and other sensitive locations after the Trump administration ended protections. That's left many families scared, said Brenda Gonzalez with ImmSchools.

A North Texas educator and immigration advocate is urging schools to prepare ahead of potential federal enforcement.

The Trump administration last week removed protections on sensitive places like schools and churches that limited immigration-related arrests.

Brenda Gonzalez with the nonprofit ImmSchools works with districts and immigrant families and said she knows parents are scared.

"A lot of parents are asking to withdraw their kids from school," she said. "They have questions about whether or not students can be detained, arrested inside the schools now."

Gonzalez said unlike during the first Trump administration, many districts have been reluctant to communicate plans for how to handle immigration enforcement on campuses.

"When it comes to the schools and districts, one of the things that I've noticed is that they are very much hesitant to be forthcoming with the support that students and families need right now," she said. "I would hope to see more support from district leaders."

KERA reached out to several North Texas school districts for reaction to the Department of Homeland Security's order; many didn't respond. Dallas ISD told KERA in a statement it's "committed to providing an inclusive and supportive environment for ALL students, staff, and families regardless of their immigration status."

The school board passed a resolution in 2017 designating all campuses as "as welcoming and protective to the fullest extent of the law."

Gonzalez said federal authorities need a warrant to enter schools — otherwise administrators can keep them out.

"Front office staff might assume that because this is an officer with a uniform, they have the right to have access," she said. "The reality is student and parent information are protected unless they have a judicial warrant."

She said parents should know their rights, too — particularly under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

"We are reassuring them that schools are still a safe place. ... Their information is still protected. Therefore, that we're hoping schools have plans and protocols in place so that if ICE officers do show up to schools, they don't just release the kid or release information of the kids or the parents."

Bill Zeeble is KERA’s education reporter. Got a tip? Email Bill at bzeeble@kera.org. You can follow him on X @bzeeble.

KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you.

Bill Zeeble has been a full-time reporter at KERA since 1992, covering everything from medicine to the Mavericks and education to environmental issues.