{"id":8477,"date":"2025-02-18T08:07:13","date_gmt":"2025-02-18T13:07:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/miami\/?p=8477"},"modified":"2025-02-18T08:07:13","modified_gmt":"2025-02-18T13:07:13","slug":"schools-confront-anxiety-over-trumps-immigration-actions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/miami\/2025\/02\/18\/schools-confront-anxiety-over-trumps-immigration-actions\/","title":{"rendered":"Schools Confront Anxiety Over Trump’s Immigration Actions"},"content":{"rendered":"

Schools Confront Anxiety Over Trump’s Actions on Immigration<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rising Anxiety Among Parents and Students<\/strong><\/p>\n

In Fresno, California, social media rumors about impending immigration raids at the city’s schools left some parents panicking \u2014 even though the raids were all hoaxes. In Denver, a real immigration raid at an apartment complex led to scores of students staying home from school, according to a lawsuit. And in Alice, Texas, a school official incorrectly told parents that Border Patrol agents might board school buses to check immigration papers.<\/p>\n

Trump’s Immigration Policies Affecting Schools<\/strong><\/p>\n

President Donald Trump’s immigration policies already are affecting schools across the country, as officials find themselves responding to rising anxiety among parents and their children, including those who are here legally. Trump’s executive actions vastly expanded who is eligible for deportation and lifted a ban on immigration enforcement in schools.<\/p>\n

Families Struggle to Separate Facts from Rumors<\/strong><\/p>\n

As they weigh the risks, many families have struggled with separating facts from rumors. In the Alice Independent School District in Texas, school officials told parents that the district "received information" that U.S. Border Patrol agents could ask students about their citizenship status during field trips on school buses that pass through checkpoints about 60 miles from the Texas-Mexico border. The information turned out to be false.<\/p>\n

Immigration and Schools: A Growing Concern<\/strong><\/p>\n

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are not known to have entered schools anywhere. However, the possibility has alarmed families enough that some districts are pushing for a change in the policy allowing agents to operate in schools. Denver Public Schools last week sued the Department of Homeland Security, accusing the Trump administration of interfering with the education of young people in its care.<\/p>\n

Conservatives Question Right to Public Education<\/strong><\/p>\n

Around the country, conservatives have been questioning whether immigrants without legal status should even have the right to a public education. Oklahoma’s Republican state superintendent, Ryan Walters, pushed a rule that would have required parents to show proof of citizenship \u2014 a birth certificate or passport \u2014 to enroll their children in school. The rule would have allowed parents to register their children even if they could not provide proof, but advocates say it would have strongly discouraged them from doing so.<\/p>\n

The Impact on Students and Families<\/strong><\/p>\n

The implications of immigration policy for U.S. schools are enormous. Fwd.us, a group advocating for criminal justice and immigration reform, estimated in 2021 that 600,000 K-12 students in the U.S. lacked legal status. Nearly 4 million students \u2014 many of them born in the U.S. \u2014 have a parent living in the country illegally.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n

As the debate surrounding immigration policy continues to unfold, schools across the United States are grappling with the consequences of the uncertainty and anxiety it brings. While some argue that immigration enforcement in schools is necessary, others believe it is a threat to the education and well-being of students and families.<\/p>\n

FAQs<\/strong><\/p>\n