This page will strive to post relevant changes to the Department of Education, Special Education, and Federal policies that impact teachers and students.
On January 21, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security announced a new policy allowing immigration officers and agents to carry out enforcement actions—including arrests and searches—of undocumented immigrants in “sensitive locations” including schools and churches. This new directive replaced a policy previously implemented in 2011, which had established that officers and agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) would not carry out enforcement actions at these sensitive locations except in limited situations. In 2021, the Department of Homeland Security had expanded the list of sensitive locations to include social services establishments and places where children gather, including school bus stops, playgrounds, and childcare centers.
Under the newly announced policy of January 2025, those previous protections are no longer in place.
For additional information and resource links, please visit: https://www.copaa.org/general/custom.asp?page=ICE_in_School
