FALL RIVER — As President Donald Trump’s second term dawns, his administration rolled back longstanding policy that prevents federal agents from raiding “sensitive locations,” including K-12 schools.
Mayor Paul Coogan said he hasn’t heard of any changes to policy, and noted that traditionally ICE officials notify the local police chief before entering a community to carry out a search.
The Trump administration’s hardline stance on immigration enforcement has led some Massachusetts public school districts to prepare to shield students from the chance of a visit from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In Brockton, Superintendent Priya Tahiliani said federal agents who attempt to arrest students will be directed to the superintendent’s office and the district will seek legal counsel.
Some Massachusetts school systems, including Brockton, have said they would shield students from potential immigration raids.
As of Jan. 24, Fall River has announced no preparedness plan for ICE raids. Coogan said federal agents cannot enter non-public areas of an organization, such as a school, without consent or a valid judicial warrant.
He said he believes school buses are also non-public entities.
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How are Fall River school staff supposed to react if ICE agents appear?
Schools, along with churches and hospitals nationwide, had been afforded some protections from immigration enforcement in accordance with a “protected area” policy issued by the Department of Homeland Security. On Jan. 20, that policy was rescinded.
Coogan received a general advisory from Corporation Counsel Alan Rumsey, written by three litigators at Shipman & Goodwin LLP, that details procedures school staff members may take to navigate a visit from ICE and advocate for their students. In it, school officials are advised to first establish an agent’s identity and credentials in line with asking to examine a warrant and note the type of warrant that is presented.
But if ICE officers claim there are exigent circumstances as the reason behind their visit, school officials “should not interfere with their attempts to gain access to non-public areas.”
The article recommends schools implement preparedness plans and provide employees with training on how to handle an ICE visit.
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An American flag hangs outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Chicago.
How immigration enforcement is changing under Trump
After Trump was elected in 2016, dozens of school districts across the country adopted “safe zone” resolutions, declaring their intent to protect students from federal immigration enforcement, according to the National Education Association.
On the campaign trail, Trump pledged he’d schedule mass deportations, and suggested in December that he supported deporting families of mixed legal statuses, even if some family members are U.S. citizens.
Talk of stark policy shifts have spurred larger debates about where immigration enforcement should or shouldn’t occur. During Trump’s first term, a respect for “sensitive locations” was “mostly followed” by federal officials, according to USA Today reports.
Last week, university officials across the country met virtually with immigration advocates to discuss how to respond to the new administration’s stance on the approximately 400,000 undocumented students enrolled in higher education.
Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, or FERPA, student data is safeguarded, and in most cases, schools are prohibited from disclosing personally identifiable information on school records, including citizenship status.
This article originally appeared on The Herald News: As Mass. school districts brace for ICE visits, what about Fall River?
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