Scoop: Denver outlines school rules for potential ICE raids
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A Denver Public Schools bus. Photo: Katie Wood/The Denver Post via Getty Images
Denver Public Schools is bracing for possible immigration raids on students and directing principals to lock down campuses if federal immigration agents come knocking.
Why it matters: President-elect Trump has pledged the "largest deportation" in U.S. history and suggested rolling back long-standing policies that restrict immigration enforcement in sensitive locations, like schools.
By the numbers: DPS enrolled more than 4,700 immigrant students from Venezuela, Colombia and Mexico last year, the Denver Post reports.
The latest: Superintendent Alex Marrero issued guidance to principals this week after staff and families raised concerns about potential Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) presence on school grounds.
- The memo reaffirms DPS policy: Federal immigration enforcement is prohibited "at schools, on transportation routes, on DPS property or during school activities."
Zoom in: School leaders should deny entry to any government official who arrives without prior appointments or legitimate school business, the memo states.
- In that instance, schools should also initiate "secure perimeter" protocols, locking all exterior doors and halting all entries or exits from school buildings.
Between the lines: DPS spokesperson Scott Pribble told Axios Denver the district hasn't changed its policies since 2019. Marrero's memo was sent as a "reminder" of DPS' existing policies and is "not specific to any changes to federal guidance that have been discussed."
What they're saying: "DPS will continue to work with city agencies and community organizations to support our scholars, families and staff to ensure our community's constitutional rights are respected," Marrero wrote.
What's next: Marrero said more information will be shared "in the coming days and weeks" to ensure schools "remain safe, welcoming, inclusive and supportive."
The big picture: Schools nationwide are weighing similar responses to possible immigration raids as Trump takes office, the AP reports.