📢 Education Without Fear: Why ICE Must Stay Out of Schools
Children deserve classrooms free from fear. Here's why ICE must stay out of schools and how to demand accountability.
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Urgent call to action: Click here to Put the Minneapolis Killers on Trial
Why ICE Needs to Stay Out of Schools
Friends, schools must be places of safety, stability, and learning—not fear, intimidation, or federal enforcement. Yet recent events across the country make painfully clear why Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has no place anywhere near public schools. When immigration enforcement intrudes into educational spaces, it causes real, lasting harm to children, families, and educators alike.
For years, schools were recognized as “sensitive locations,” where immigration enforcement was restricted because of the profound damage it inflicts on children. That understanding exists for a reason. Children cannot learn when they are afraid. Parents cannot send their kids to school when they fear detention at drop-off or pickup. Educators cannot teach when classrooms are transformed into places of anxiety instead of opportunity.
In January 2026, ICE detained multiple children in the Columbia Heights, Minnesota area, including a five-year-old, during immigration enforcement actions connected to school schedules. School officials and advocates described the incident as deeply traumatic, leaving young students frightened and families destabilized. 1
At the same time, ICE activity near schools in Minnesota placed entire districts on alert, prompting families to keep children home out of fear.2 When families feel unsafe, attendance drops, trust erodes, and learning suffers.
Equally alarming, federal agents detained a school staff member—a special education assistant—outside Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis 3, disrupting dismissal and forcing the district to cancel classes out of concern for student safety. The arrest of an educator sent a chilling message to students and families: even the adults who care for you are not safe.
Educators nationwide are sounding the alarm. Teachers’ unions report rising absenteeism, increased anxiety, and emotional distress among students when immigration enforcement operates near school grounds.4 5 Research confirms what teachers see every day: immigration enforcement harms student well-being, academic performance, and long-term outcomes, especially for children in immigrant families—regardless of their own immigration status.
No child should ever have to choose between safety and education. Schools are meant to be sanctuaries—places where every student can grow, dream, and belong. Allowing ICE near schools violates that promise and undermines the very purpose of public education. Protect our kids. Defend our schools. Speak out today.
Call to Action: If you believe our schools must remain safe, welcoming, and free from fear, take action now. 👉 Tell your Attorney General: Keep ICE Out of Public Schools.
You’re invited: No Kings Day of Action
Details: 📅 Date: Saturday, March 28, 2026 📍 Location: National
The next NO KINGS national mobilization is here. Power belongs to the people. Join us. A Complete Guide to the No Kings Day of Action can be found here or scan the QR Code.
We Are the Light 🕯️
No hate. No fear. All are welcome here. Across this country, people from every walk of life are feeling grief, anger, and exhaustion as our communities are harmed and lives are lost, yet something powerful is happening: everyday people who have never seen themselves as activists are speaking up and looking for a way to show they care. We Are the Light exists for them. You don’t need experience or a platform to take part—just place a candle, real or LED, in your window at night as a visible symbol of solidarity, hope, and nonviolent resistance. For generations, candles in windows have signaled care for the persecuted and peaceful opposition to injustice. Let your light say no to hate, no to fear, and yes to humanity.
Urgent call to action: Click here Kristi Noem Must Go
You’re invited: Eyes on ICE: Document and Record
Details: 📅 Date: Thursday, February 5, 2026 📍 Location: Zoom. RSVP today and bring your voice to the movement!
On January 24, 2026, federal immigration agents fatally shot 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, igniting nationwide outrage and deepening fear in communities already targeted by aggressive enforcement tactics. Pretti, who cared for veterans and peacefully stood up to oppressive federal action, was killed in broad daylight — the latest in a string of violent encounters that include the earlier killing of Renée Good.
Enough is enough. Exercising our Constitutional rights to document, record, and witness the actions of ICE, CBP, and other federal agents is no longer optional — it’s necessary. Every phone camera pointed at abuses, every legal observer trained, every neighbor supported keeps power in check and protects our communities from terror and unchecked force.
Join an important training via Zoom on Thursday, February 5th, 2026 at 8:00 pm ET for Eyes on Ice: Document and Record, a training call that will equip you with the tools to confidently and safely assert your rights when documenting law enforcement — and take action beyond it. We’ll walk through what you need to know, how to protect yourself and others, and concrete ways to stay engaged in the fight for justice.
👉 RSVP for Link. Because courage isn’t passive — it’s prepared.
Urgent call to action: Click here to Stop Trump’s DOJ from Punishing Dissent
Together, we can Resist and Champion Freedom Over Fascism
People Power United members are committed to championing progress and power to the people. We don’t just complain; we do the work to make change happen. Here are today’s calls-to-action:
Click here Congress Must Investigate FBI’s Georgia Election Center Raid
Click here to Tell the FBI: Stop Blocking Investigation Into ICE Shootings
Click here to Put the Minneapolis Killers on Trial
Click here to Tell Your Attorney General: Keep ICE Out of Public Schools
Click here to Tell Google and YouTube: Stop taking money from ICE. Take down vile ICE recruitment ads now.
Click here to Stop Trump’s DOJ from Punishing Dissent
Click here to Tell Congress: Investigate ICE Retaliation Against Protests
Click here Kristi Noem Must Go
Tell Congress to pass the Living Wage for Musicians Act. Spotify and other music streaming services must pay artists fairly.
Will You Share Your Story?
In every generation, some people refuse to stay silent in the face of injustice. At People Power United, we know the most incredible stories of courage don’t come from halls of power but from the people. That’s why we’re launching “Freedom Over Fascism: Voices of the People.”
We want your story. Whether in your own words or, even better, on video, share why you believe democracy must serve everyone who calls America home. Together, we’ll uplift these stories to remind lawmakers that they represent the people—not the wealthy, not the well-connected, but all of us who refuse to be silent in the face of injustice. Because when we raise our voices, we prove that the people’s power is greater than those in power.
💥 Why You Matter
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You’re defending progress and power to the people.
You’re standing up for freedom over fascism, progress, and power to the people!
“We must stand united to protect freedom over fascism… There is no power like that of the people.” — Laurie Woodward García, People Power United
Power grows when people participate and hold their leaders accountable to the will of the people. And together, we are proving—day after day—that the future belongs to those who refuse to stay silent.
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https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/ice-detains-four-children-minnesota-school-district-school-officials-say-2026-01-22/
https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/not-same-levelyet-ice-actions-near-schools-mn-put-nevadans-alert
https://sahanjournal.com/education/border-patrol-detains-minneapolis-roosevelt-high-staffer/
https://www.ei-ie.org/en/item/32026:ice-out-of-schools-educators-and-their-unions-mobilise-for-students-and-demand-that-immigration-enforcement-stop-terrorizing-communities-in-the-united-states
https://www.k12dive.com/news/UCLA-report-principals-say-ice-is-impacting-their-schools/807358/