The Trump administration on Tuesday announced that federal immigation enforcement agents could make arrests at or near “sensitive” locations, sparking fears about the impact on New York City public schools.
The policy change undid over a decade of precedent that restricted two federal immigration agencies — Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection — from enforcement activity in settings including schools or houses of worship.
“This is the topic of discussion,” said Naveed Hasan, an advocate for immigrant students on a citywide education panel. “Are our schools and our hospitals and I think courts and houses of worships no longer considered sanctuaries for people to feel like they are safe, like they have found a place that can protect them?”
“Everybody who I’m working with, who’s an advocate for immigrants, is deeply concerned specifically for schools. We’re worried about attendance. We’re worried about parents not telling anyone where they’ve gone. Schools will be held accountable for absenteeism and test scores, and none of that will be helped when families are living in fear.”
Trump has put migrant communities in NYC and across the nation on edge as he threatens swift action to remove some undocumented immigrants, including mass deportations. A series of executive orders issued late Monday included an effort to revoke birthright citizenship, sparking a legal challenge from more than 20 attorneys general.
During a weekly press conference Tuesday, Adams said his team had spoken with ICE about sensitive locations, such as schools, but did not go into detail about those conversations. The New York City mayor said Tuesday agreed to refrain from publicly criticizing President Trump in exchange for a direct line to the president.
“Listen, we’ve been having good conversations with ICE,” the mayor said at City Hall. “We’re going to continue to do so. Our team knows how important it is to coordinate. And if you’re not at the table, you’re not able to give real good input. And that is our goal. That’s what we want to [focus] on doing.”
A spokesperson for the city’s public school system did not announce any new policies or procedures Tuesday afternoon, deferring instead to the mayor’s comments.
In recent trainings, local principals were reminded not to grant ICE access to school facilities, students or their records without speaking with an education department lawyer or a warrant.
Classroom
The Panel for Educational Policy, the city’s version of a school board in a district controlled by the mayor, is trying to go further with an advisory resolution calling on the school system to protect the rights of immigrant students. It’s expected to pass at the panel’s monthly meeting Wednesday, with more sponsors than it needs votes.
“Staff in schools, they care deeply about their students and have expressed strong support for the resolution,” Hasan said, “and want the PEP to pass this.”
With Chris Sommerfeldt