What happens if ICE agents show up at Seattle schools
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School officials in Seattle and Washington state will continue to require a court order or signed warrant from a judge before they let federal immigration agents onto school campuses, they told Axios this week.
The big picture: After the Trump administration revoked guidance that had previously limited immigration arrests at schools and other sensitive places, officials have sought to reassure undocumented families that schools are still safe for them.
What they're saying: "In Washington state, we will do everything we can to protect our students, no matter their citizenship status," Washington state superintendent Chris Reykdal said last week.
How it works: If agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) show up on a school campus, staff members are to direct them to the school principal or the principal's designee, per guidance Reykdal's office issued last week.
- School staff must request a valid court order or warrant signed by a judge, which will be reviewed by the school district superintendent or district lawyer.
- If the order is valid, schools are directed not to grant access beyond what the order specifies.
- District officials should request that a school official be present during any campus interviews that immigration agents conduct, per the state attorney general's office, and also try to notify parents.
Zoom in: Seattle Public Schools follows similar procedures, district spokesperson Sophia Charchuk told Axios.
- The district's policy specifies that civil immigration warrants or other administrative orders from ICE aren't sufficient to give immigration agents access — the orders must come from a judge.
- In an emailed statement, Charchuk said the Trump administration's decision to open up schools to more immigration enforcement "impedes the district's obligation to educate all students" and "runs counter to the values of Seattle Public Schools."
Between the lines: Groups such as the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project are advising families to come up with a plan for what they'll do if an undocumented parent or caregiver is arrested or detained by ICE.
- That includes identifying someone local to take care of a child if a parent is arrested, gathering important documents like children's birth certificates, and filling out a power of attorney form, among other steps, per a webinar the organization co-hosted this month.
Go deeper: Washington preps resources for children separated from immigrant parents