According to an article by ABC7 Chicago a teacher at a daycare was detained by immigration enforcement officers while children and shocked parents watched. Classrooms that should have been a sanctuary for children to feel safe and protected, quickly turned into a scene of panic. An incident like this raises concerns; schools must enforce clear policies regarding ICE to be kept off campus in order to safeguard trust and safety of staff and students.
Schools are meant to be safe environments–places where students learn without distress, and where teachers and staff can carry out their jobs without threats of disruption. Immigration enforcement entering school grounds undermines a school’s fundamental purpose: providing students with education and ensuring everyone’s well-being. Children and teachers deserve to live and work without the shadow of sudden enforcement hanging over them.
Reports from an NBC News article highlight that incidents such as the Chicago daycare are more widespread than people think. Educators from across the city have described the anxieties students face when immigration agents appear nearby. Events like tear gas drifting near schools causes students in recess to be forced indoors, interrupting their day and causing emotional trauma.
Federal ICE guidelines have schools designated as “sensitive locations” where enforcement should generally be avoided, but they are not always clearly understood or enforced. This is why schools cannot rely solely on federal guidelines; adopting their own policies for the campus to maintain a safe place for students and staff is crucial to avoid unnecessary disturbance.
District 99 had made an announcement to students and parents regarding how they can protect their communities. The district recently implemented policy 8.35, which prohibits immigration enforcements from entering campus during the school day or any school event. This applies to students, staff, and their families– if any enforcement officers are on district property, they are then directed to the superintendent to further respond following legal protocols.
By adopting clear and enforceable procedures like this, it ensures students and staff can learn and work without added stress; offering a model other districts should follow.
Some argue that undocumented immigrants should be detained and deported regardless of their locations. While those laws are important for national policy, doing so on or near school grounds to those that don’t make a threat, doesn’t make a community safer; if anything it tears them apart. Districts that allow that risk will lose credibility as supportive institutions.
Schools would not remain places of learning if anxiety governs daily activities. Implementing strong safe zone policies can create a place of trust, opportunity and growth. Every district needs to take responsibility to make every school a sanctuary, free from the threats of immigration enforcement.
Read about ICE in the Chicago suburbs here.
