Kamal Ghorui
School campuses in parts of the United States have come under focus after a change in federal policy allowed immigration enforcement actions in and around schools.Attorneys representing two Minnesota school districts and the state’s largest teachers union have asked a federal court to block the policy, arguing that it has affected students and school operations.The Fridley and Duluth school districts, along with Education Minnesota, filed the request before a United States District Court, seeking a stay or preliminary injunction against the policy.
What the policy changed
The US Department of Homeland Security removed earlier restrictions that limited immigration enforcement in “sensitive locations” such as schools, school bus stops, churches and hospitals.These locations were earlier treated as off limits except in rare cases.The change allowed federal immigration authorities greater scope to conduct enforcement actions in and around schools.
What the case argues
The districts and the union challenged the policy in February, during a federal enforcement drive known as Operation Metro Surge.They told the court that the change has affected attendance and created fear among students and families.Attorney Amanda Cialkowski, representing the districts and the union, said it was not clear whether a ruling would apply beyond Minnesota or extend to other locations.“We’ll just have to wait and see what the judge does,” she said, AP reports.
Arguments in court
The hearing before Judge Laura Provinzino focused on whether the districts and the union had legal standing to challenge the policy and whether they had been directly affected.Justice Department attorney Jessica Lundberg argued that restoring the earlier guidance would not significantly change enforcement.“Swapping out” the current guidance with the previous one would not have a meaningful impact, she said, noting that enforcement near schools was always possible, according to AP.Judge Provinzino said she would issue a ruling soon. “I will rule as quickly as I can … but also making sure I get it right,” she said.
Impact on schools
School officials said attendance declined following the policy change and enforcement actions.Fridley Superintendent Brenda Lewis said the change “deeply impacted” attendance, as families did not feel safe sending children to school, according to AP.She said the district shifted some students to virtual learning and reported losing 72 students since December. Some students moved to other districts, some left the country and others were in detention centres.In Duluth, Superintendent John Magas said the district began seeing effects even before enforcement operations reached the area.
Attendance data
Data shows a rise in absenteeism across districts in the Twin Cities area. In St. Paul, more than 9,000 students were absent in mid-January, over a quarter of the district.Similarly, Minneapolis Public Schools recorded more than 8,000 absences on the last school day in January, close to 30 percent of students. Fridley schools reported attendance falling by nearly one-third, according to court filings.The policy change is part of a broader immigration enforcement approach under the administration of Donald Trump.The issue has also figured in wider discussions between lawmakers and the administration over funding for the Department of Homeland Security.The court’s decision on the request for an injunction is awaited.
