Nevada Educators Block $1.6 Billion Hollywood Tax Credit, Shield Schools from ICE Raids

Nevada educators just scored a major victory for public schools by killing a reckless $1.6 billion “Hollywood tax credit” that would have funneled taxpayer dollars into building a film studio in Las Vegas. This giveaway would have siphoned desperately needed funds away from classrooms, threatening students and educators across the state.

The Nevada State Education Association (NSEA), along with the Washoe Education Association, AFSCME, and other allies, organized a fierce campaign that convinced the state legislature to reject the proposal. Their efforts protected the long-term stability of Nevada’s public education system and kept the money where it belongs — in schools.

This fight is part of a broader pattern of educators resisting corporate handouts disguised as economic development schemes. Public funds must serve public needs, not private profit.

At the same time, educators nationwide are pushing back against the Trump administration’s rollback of “sensitive location” protections that kept Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents out of schools, churches, and hospitals. Last year’s rescission of these safeguards has sown fear and disruption in communities.

The National Education Association (NEA) has joined a federal lawsuit aiming to restore these vital protections and defend immigrant students’ right to learn without intimidation. The lawsuit remains pending, but local unions are already taking action.

In Washington state, locals like Mount Vernon, Sedro-Woolley, and Highline have negotiated contract language that explicitly shields educators and families from ICE interference on school grounds. These new protocols give educators the right to refuse cooperation with ICE and to withhold personal information about students, families, and staff.

Minnesota educators have shown similar solidarity during ICE operations this winter, organizing safety patrols, volunteer training, and delivering groceries to families too scared to leave home. These grassroots efforts demonstrate how educators are frontline defenders of immigrant rights and school safety.

NEA has also released sample contract language to help schools nationwide protect immigrant students. Their resources are available at nea.org/SupportImmigrants.

The surge in union power doesn’t stop there. New Mexico State University’s newly formed NEA union has won official recognition, boosting faculty unionization in the state from 63 to 85 percent. Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania, the State Education Association successfully advocated for paid student teaching, benefiting over 3,000 future educators with stipends up to $15,000.

These victories show educators are not only fighting to protect schools from corporate greed and ICE raids but also expanding labor rights and improving conditions for the next generation of teachers.

The message is clear: educators are organizing, resisting, and winning. Public schools deserve funding, immigrant students deserve safety, and teachers deserve fair treatment. We’ll be watching and reporting on every fight for accountability and justice.