Deportation Fears Keep Migrant Kids Out of School as ‘Everyone Is Scared’

Hallways at the Stewart Hotel, a midtown Manhattan shelter for migrant families, are typically bustling on weekday mornings with kids and parents on their way to school. They were eerily empty on Thursday morning.

A similar scene played out at the nearby Roosevelt Hotel shelter and intake center, where a line of migrant families waiting to get back inside following school pickup was far shorter than normal on Thursday afternoon. The majority of kids stayed home “because of that fear,” said one father in Spanish.

And in Bushwick, Brooklyn, one dad who warily sent his kids to school said he was in the minority of families at the shelter to do so.

“Almost nobody is sending their kids [to school] in case they’re taken,” said Amanda, a Venezuelan mother staying at the Stewart who kept her three children out of school all week and asked to use only her first name out of fear of jeopardizing her immigration case. She estimated that about 100 kids at the shelter stayed out of school this week. “Everyone is scared.”

On high alert after President Donald Trump’s inauguration this week and worried about his promise to fast-track deportations, scores of immigrant families kept their kids home from school, multiple parents said.

Educators are working hard to reassure anxious parents that their kids will be safe in school, according to interviews with eight school leaders, as the New York City’s Education Department prohibits federal law enforcement agents from entering schools except under narrow circumstances. But they’re also grappling with how to quell concerns at a time when federal action seems to be ramping up by the day.

As soon as Trump took office, he rescinded a longstanding internal policy prohibiting Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, from making arrests at “sensitive locations” like churches and schools, further heightening fears for families. His pledge to begin mass deportations of millions of undocumented immigrants nationwide hit close to home on Thursday when immigration officers launched a workplace raid across the Hudson River in Newark. On Friday, agents showed up at a Chicago elementary school, but were turned away because they didn’t have a criminal warrant signed by a judge, according to the school district.

It’s difficult to know how many families across the five boroughs are keeping their kids out of school because of deportation fears. An estimated 48,000 newcomers have enrolled in city schools since summer 2022.

Daily attendance, which averaged 90% last year, dipped to the mid-80s on Tuesday and Wednesday before rebounding to 89% on Thursday, according to daily attendance data from the Education Department, though other factors including the frigid temperatures and Regents Exams administration for high schoolers likely played a role.

Some educators are sounding the alarm that fears of immigration enforcement could keep kids out of school in large numbers — and will take a psychological toll on the kids who do show up.

“I cannot tell you how many parents have come to me today… Kids don’t want to come to school,” a parent coordinator at a Corona, Queens, school with a large immigrant population, told Mayor Eric Adams at a town hall this week. “Kids are scared to leave home and not come back to see their parents.”

‘Better to Wait’

Principals are preparing guidance counselors to work with students who fear that their families could be deported, hosting information sessions with families about their rights, and reminding school staff of city rules that forbid sharing information with federal immigration officials or providing access to the building without a warrant.

One Manhattan middle school principal fielded an early morning phone call this week from a mother worried about traveling to drop off her daughter. The principal, who spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear that his school could be targeted by immigration officials, reassured the mom that despite the end of the federal policy limiting immigration arrests at schools, he would do everything possible to protect students.

“ICE is going to have to arrest me before they arrest your daughter,” he told the mom, adding that they would lock her daughter in his office if needed. The mother ended up bringing her child to school.

Dan Steinberg, co-principal of Harlem Link Charter School, said the school is making sure that it has accurate contact information for families in the event that immigration officials arrive and the school needs to quickly reach caregivers.

“We hope nothing happens but we can’t promise families that no one is going to show up,” Steinberg said.

‘Going Into Hiding’

While several principals said it’s too early to tell whether attendance has taken a big hit this week because of immigration concerns, some noted attendance barriers for migrant students that pre-dated Trump. Those include housing instability and the city’s 60-day shelter eviction policy, which often results in families missing days of school at a time as they struggle to settle in and secure transportation, principals said. Kids are also often pulled out of school for obligations like court dates.

One Manhattan principal said families sometimes depart the city without notice, leaving the school responsible for verifying that they’ve enrolled in a new school before discharging them. The principal added that they worried that more families are “going to go into hiding” now that Trump is in office.

Missing even a few extra days of school can feel like a big setback for kids still trying to settle in and learn a new language.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How many families are keeping their kids out of school due to deportation fears?
A: It’s difficult to know, but an estimated 48,000 newcomers have enrolled in city schools since summer 2022.

Q: What are the main concerns for migrant families?
A: Fears of immigration enforcement, housing instability, and the city’s 60-day shelter eviction policy are among the top concerns.

Q: How are schools addressing these concerns?
A: Educators are working hard to reassure anxious parents that their kids will be safe in school, hosting information sessions with families about their rights, and reminding school staff of city rules that forbid sharing information with federal immigration officials or providing access to the building without a warrant.

Q: What are the long-term effects of keeping kids out of school due to deportation fears?
A: Missing even a few extra days of school can have a significant impact on a child’s education and well-being, potentially leading to a lack of socialization, academic struggles, and increased stress.

Q: What can be done to address these concerns?
A: Schools, policymakers, and community organizations must work together to create a safe and supportive environment for migrant families, providing resources and services to help them navigate the challenges they face.