Potential ICE raids put spotlight on Philly schools' protections
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The Philadelphia school district says it has a plan in place if federal immigration agents come knocking, but immigrant rights advocates worry schools may not be prepared.
Why it matters: President Trump is launching an aggressive crackdown on undocumented immigrants, and the latest directive allows immigration officials to raid schools and churches, previously deemed off-limits.
State of play: As of earlier this month, the district wasn't preparing any new protocols or protections for immigrant students under the new administration.
- District officials told Axios that schools will follow guidelines put in place in 2021 outlining how to handle federal immigration agents requesting access to a school facility or student records.
The big picture: The district has a long-held stance of welcoming all students, regardless of immigration status.
- Its sanctuary schools plan commits to protecting students and training staff on how to respond to potential immigration raids and other issues affecting immigrant students.
What they're saying: "Our policy or treatment of immigrant students hasn't changed given the upcoming administration of President Trump," district spokesperson Monique Braxton told Axios earlier this month.
How it works: Under district policy, school staff are instructed not to provide Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents with any information about students, families or employees.
- Agents should not be allowed to enter a school facility without approval from district lawyers, who are responsible for ensuring warrants and credentials are valid.
Yes, but: District staff must grant immigration agents access to students and records if they have legal authorization, such as a warrant.
- Agents can access buildings without warrants in some instances, such as when addressing a security threat.
- Staff are also instructed not to physically interfere with an agent, even if the agent does not comply with their directions.
By the numbers: The district doesn't maintain data on students' immigration status.
- 22% of district students in K-12 schools are English language learners, up from 9.6% 11 years ago, per Braxton.
- That amounts to more than 25,300 students still learning English.
The other side: Erika Guadalupe Nuñez, executive director of the immigrant rights group Juntos, tells Axios the district isn't ready for potential school raids.
- Nuñez questioned whether the district was fully implementing its sanctuary schools plan, which Juntos helped the district create in 2021.
Zoom in: In a survey of 150 Philadelphia educators, staff and administrators between October 2023 and February 2024, Juntos says that nearly 44% of teachers reported they hadn't received training on how to respond to potential ICE presence on school grounds or information requests.
- "What we've seen since [2021] is an incompletely implemented resolution, a scaleback in district support for immigrant students, and an unwillingness to really coordinate with community organizations on the ground," Nuñez said.
The bottom line: Superintendent Tony Watlington is assuring families that the district "won't provide undue access to children in schools without the appropriate warrants or paperwork," per a statement to KYW.
- "We'll be following the letter and spirit of the law."