FCPS vows to protect students if ICE agents come to schools
As fears mount following President Trump’s threat to deport many more immigrants, including those here legally, Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Michelle Reid told Annandale Today, “We are committed to the fullest extent of the law to protecting our students and staff.”
Reid said she met with all the principals last week. “We gave them very clear direction on our policies and practices.”
The possibility of ICE agents detaining parents while children are in school is a huge concern among immigrant families, said Mason school board member Ricardy Anderson. “There’s a lot of anxiety. Kids, families, communities are worried. We’re doing our best to ensure that the policies we have put in place and the Trust Policy which I helped put forward in 2022 will be strong enough.”
The Trust Policy “confirms the School Board’s commitment to providing a safe and welcoming space for all students and their families.” It also says, “A safe and inviting environment would be disrupted by the presence of immigration agents or ICE enforcement activities. Such activities create a climate of fear and stress that would impact all students.”
“We have to reach out and remember our humanity. These are kids,” Anderson said. “There’s no reason for kids to go home to empty households. There’s no reason for people to worry about kids being dragged out of school, potentially in handcuffs.”
Related story: Immigrant rights groups respond to mass deportation threat
“Obviously, we’re treating this as a top priority right now. We’re hopeful nothing will happen, but we’re prepared,” said at-large school board member Ryan McElveen.
“We’re advising staff so they know how to handle these situations,” McElveen said. “If ICE agents come to a school, staff will take them to the front office, make sure they are who they say they are, and that they have warrants,” he said. “If they don’t, they’ll be sent away.”
According to Reid, attendance has remained stable since Trump was inaugurated. However, Anderson notes, it’s been hard to tell because of the snow days. And when schools have a two-hour delay, as they did for a couple of days this week, there tend to be more absences.
Reid sent a letter to the FCPS community Jan. 25 stating, “We will continue to do all that we can – to the fullest extent allowable by law – to protect our students and staff and to ensure access to safe and vibrant learning spaces for our students, families, and staff.”
“We are continuing to follow the law,” the letter states. “The 1982 Supreme Court decision regarding Plyler v. Doe established that all children, regardless of immigration status, have the right to a public education.”
That ruling overturned a Texas law that allowed school districts to deny enrollment to undocumented children. “The Supreme Court ruled that this law violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, emphasizing that public education is a critical government function vital to preparing all children for a productive role in society,” the letter states.
In addition, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 protects the privacy of student information, she said. “To be clear, Fairfax County Public Schools is not permitted by law to collect the immigration status of our students or their families.”
FCPS has updated its list of online resources for families concerned about immigration issues.
