A New Era of Enforcement Inside Schools
The landscape of American public education has shifted dramatically since federal authorities reversed long‑standing protections that once shielded schools from immigration enforcement. Historically, campuses were treated as “sensitive locations,” where agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) refrained from making arrests. That barrier collapsed in early 2025, when the Department of Homeland Security formally authorized enforcement in spaces such as schools, churches, and hospitals.
For the six million K–12 students who live in mixed‑status families, this policy shift transformed learning environments into potential sites of surveillance, infusing everyday school routines with fear and uncertainty.
Fear Becomes a Daily Classroom Presence
The suddenness of this change was felt immediately in classrooms across the country. Teachers in districts from Fresno to Chicago described seeing rows of empty seats after immigration rumors spread—sometimes even before any actual enforcement activity took place.
Students who once worried about spelling tests or seating arrangements at lunch now faced existential questions: whether a parent would be home at the end of the day, whether attending school put their family at risk, and whether they themselves were “safe enough” to participate fully in class. These fears were not abstract or symbolic—they manifested in visibly rattled students, withdrawn behavior, and a pervasive sense of instability that undermined academic engagement.
Longstanding Research Confirms Today’s Crisis
Educators had long warned of this possibility. Several years prior, researchers Jongyeon Joy Ee and Patricia Gándara surveyed more than 3,600 educators across 760 schools in 13 states to understand the educational consequences of immigration enforcement. Their findings were stark: over 80 percent of educators reported that students were fearful of immigration actions, and nearly two‑thirds observed declines in academic performance and spikes in absenteeism.
These patterns, documented under the first Trump administration, did not fade with time. Instead, they emerged with greater intensity in 2025 as enforcement expanded, validating earlier concerns that schools would bear the brunt of federal policy shifts.
Absenteeism, Trauma, and Long-Term Harm
The effects on students have only deepened as enforcement presence, or even the perception of enforcement, ripples through communities. By early 2025, news reports documented attendance drops of 20 percent or more in some schools following viral social media rumors of ICE raids.
Importantly, these disruptions often occurred without corroborated enforcement activity, underscoring that fear, once seeded, can cause lasting harm without physical presence. Psychologists warn that the chronic stress caused by potential family separation and sudden deportation produces long‑term trauma.
Many children may never fully recover from the persistent anxiety that shadows their lives, and for some high school seniors, the stress has already become so overwhelming that they have abandoned college plans.
Educators Under Unprecedented Strain
Students are not the only ones experiencing these emotional and academic consequences. Educators themselves face extraordinary strain as they attempt to maintain stability in environments shaken by federal policy.
Teachers report feeling “over‑stressed and over‑worked,” often unsure whom to trust or where to turn for reliable guidance. The already heavy workloads caused by pandemic‑related learning gaps, staffing shortages, and increasing mental‑health needs have expanded even further.
Teachers now act as ad‑hoc social workers, legal interpreters, and crisis counselors, roles they were never trained to fill. These added burdens often leave educators in Title I schools feeling isolated and overwhelmed, where resources are already scarce.
Schools Fight Back Through Rights Education and Support
Despite the challenging circumstances, schools nationwide have attempted to push back against the destabilizing effects of immigration enforcement. Districts are reaffirming the rights guaranteed under Plyler v. Doe (1982), which ensures all children, regardless of immigration status, are entitled to a free public education.
To counter misinformation, schools have also begun distributing multilingual “Know Your Rights” materials and hosting community workshops led by legal organizations, unions, and advocates. These sessions aim to equip families with tools to navigate encounters with immigration agents, including instructions on asserting rights under the Fourth Amendment and FERPA.
Schools are expanding mental‑health resources, partnering with therapists, counselors, and community‑based organizations to respond to spikes in anxiety, panic attacks, and trauma symptoms among students.
Patchwork Protections and Unequal Safety Across States
However, the protections students experience vary dramatically depending on where they live. Some states have supported immigrant families by advancing legislation that limits immigration enforcement in schools, strengthens data privacy, or expands access to legal services.
California, for example, has pushed for judicial‑warrant requirements before federal agents can enter school property. But other states are moving in the opposite direction—tracking immigration status, expanding local cooperation with federal enforcement, or proposing restrictions on schooling and driver’s licenses for undocumented youth.
These contrasts create a national patchwork of safety, where a child’s ability to learn without fear is determined not by constitutional guarantees but by their state’s political climate.
The Case for Systemic Reform Beyond the Schoolhouse
Even as enforcement policies intrude on school grounds, educators continue to affirm that classrooms are spaces of dignity, connection, and unconditional welcome. The authors suggest that while schools cannot resolve federal immigration debates, they can and do resist their most harmful impacts by showing up for students and insisting that belonging is not a privilege but a right.
Dr. Brian Omolo is an author and professional advisor dedicated to raising the voices of the different communities of New England. He is a PhD holder in Literature from Kenyatta University and a bachelor's degree holder in Pure Mathematics from the University of Nairobi, which justifies his combination of analytical clarity and creative insight.
