President Donald Trump has cracked down on immigration enforcement. As part of his plan, the administration backed out of a 2011 policy and now allows Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to make arrests at schools, hospitals and churches.
In light of the arrest guidelines from the Department of Homeland Security, some of Nebraska’s schools have instituted new policies, restated former policies and/or contacted legal representation. Nebraska Public Media reached out to some larger school districts and those in cities with large immigrant communities to over this digital resource into what certain districts are doing as far as immigration enforcement on or near school grounds.
Omaha Public Schools
The OPS Board of Education has restated the district’s resolution from Trump’s first administration regarding practices related to ICE.
This resolution states, unless specifically required by law, no district employee, contractor, volunteer or representative will assist in the detection or apprehension of an individual who may be undocumented.
The district will not ask any student or parent about immigration status nor require documentation. Further, nobody in the district, unless compelled by a valid court order or other legal form, will disclose student or family information to ICE officers. If ICE wants to enter school grounds, the officers must first notify the superintendent and the district’s general counsel before entry.
OPS also states all students and their families, regardless of immigration status, have access to all learning and educational services available at the schools.
Lincoln Public Schools
While the district will adhere to legal documentation for ICE’s presence, it will also “endeavor to prevent undue interference in District operations and educational programs.” This includes making sure all students, regardless of immigration statues, are safe and allowed to learn.
Staff will not answer any questions from a visitor until their identity is verified by a building administrator.
If an ICE agent comes to a school, the person will be held at the Security Entrance Monitor location while their identity is verified, which includes their name, name of their agency and the reason for their visit. Any questions from law enforcement are directed to that building administrator.
Grand Island Public Schools
GIPS does not collect any information regarding immigration status for its students nor its families. The district would only release student information to ICE if it provides a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena. That information would not include immigration status, rather the student’s name, school email address, enrollment status, grade level, etc.
Any request for an interview with a student from law enforcement must first go through the principal’s office, who will then determine if the request should be granted. If a student’s parent or legal guardian is not present for the interview, then a building administrator or school designee will attend.
Students are not allowed to be taken from the school without the consent of the principal and without a proper warrant.
Scottsbluff Public Schools
The district and its staff will comply with ICE requests if they have a warrant or subpoena signed by a judge. If the agent does not have one of those, the staff will not comply or give any information. Although employees will not obstruct government operations, they will also “attempt to prevent undue interference with district operations or educations programming.”
Immigration enforcement is not specifically listed as a non-warrant reason for why a law enforcement officer may remove a student for questioning or detention.
For interviews with students not related to district events, the students’ parents or guardians must consent. A school employee does not need to be present. The school will not disclose any student records unless in direct response to a court order or subpoena.
Columbus Public Schools
Although the district does not have a specific policy regarding ICE, the superintendent or principal will only release minors to law enforcement upon presentation of a court order or warrant for that student’s arrest. The principal or other school official would then immediately notify the parent or guardian of the child.
South Sioux City Community Schools
Although the district does not have a policy exclusively written on ICE, no schools collect or have information about a student’s immigration status and therefore are unable to share that information. If ICE makes a request to speak with a student in the district, it must first go through the superintendent’s office and the district’s legal counsel before any action is taken.
The district will, however, comply with state and federal laws, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
Fremont Public Schools
The district cannot prevent ICE agents from entering school property, but if an employee encounters ICE on school property, that staff member needs to immediately inform the principal, who will then inform the superintendent. Further, the ICE agent will be requested to work with and speak directly with the superintendent.
Although the district cannot legally prevent ICE from entering a school property, the superintendent would remind that agent of the 2011 ICE Memorandum that instruct ICE to avoid “sensitive locations,” which includes schools. This is the policy the Trump administration has urged agents to disregard.
Crete Public Schools
While the Board of Education does not have a formal policy specific to ICE, the district is committed to following the law. The district also maintains a “comprehensive Threat Assessment and Crisis Response Plan that guides our actions in any situation.”
Madison Public Schools
Although the district does not have written policies regarding ICE, the procedure for all staff is to refer any ICE officials or documents, such as a subpoena, to the superintendent. The superintendent will then work with legal counsel to respond “as appropriate and in a manner that is as protective of our students as possible.”
Schuyler Community Schools
The district does not have a policy specific to ICE, but it would follow law enforcement mandates as required by law. Its main focus is to keep students safe and stay focused on education. If ICE comes to the school grounds, the district would require a warrant signed by judge and only then would comply. That warrant would list specifically who they’re there for, and ICE would not be allowed free reign of the building. A building official would bring the individual listed on the judge-signed warrant to the office. ICE raids would not be tolerated unless there is a building warrant. The district does not gather information on immigration status and it follows the legal guidelines of FERPA. “We want kids in our school and to get them here, they have to feel safe,” said superintendent Bret Schroeder.