ICE Raids at Schools Are Driving Kids Out of Classrooms — Congress Must Stop This Assault on Education

For decades, schools have been recognized as safe havens where children can learn without fear. This principle held firm across multiple administrations, including the first Trump term. Now, under renewed and aggressive ICE operations, that sanctuary is shattered. Immigration agents are showing up at schoolyards and bus stops, frightening children and forcing thousands to stay home.

Education advocates in Minneapolis and Chicago report attendance rates dropping to historic lows during ICE’s so-called Operation MetroSurge. In some Minneapolis schools, attendance fell below 50 percent. Chicago saw 3,000 fewer students in classrooms each week after enforcement actions. On one day alone, September 29, 2025, 14,000 students skipped school to avoid ICE encounters.

The consequences are dire. Empty classrooms mean lost educational hours, stalled academic progress, and growing distrust in public schools. Many affected children are U.S. citizens, caught in the crossfire of indiscriminate immigration raids. Teachers have resorted to covering classroom windows to shield students from the trauma outside. Parents have formed human chains to protect their children’s safe passage to class.

School officials have been forced to impose lockdowns akin to those used during active shooter situations whenever armed ICE officers appear nearby. This trauma-induced disruption echoes the devastating learning losses experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Virtual learning alternatives are inadequate for many students lacking reliable internet or devices.

The Supreme Court recognized in 1982 that all children have a constitutional right to free public education regardless of immigration status. Congress must now act to uphold this right by explicitly excluding schools, bus stops, and other child-centered spaces from immigration enforcement zones.

While immigration enforcement has a role in public safety, targeting schools undermines community trust and harms children’s futures. As lawmakers negotiate Department of Homeland Security funding, protecting sensitive locations like schools should be a nonpartisan priority.

Our children deserve to learn without fear. It is time for Congress to draw a clear line: ICE stays out of schools. Only then can we ensure every child’s right to education is preserved and our schools remain safe places for all.