ICE Sued Over Policy Allowing Immigration Actions on Campus

"The complaint, filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court of Minnesota, comes in the wake of a surge of ICE presence in Minneapolis and Saint Paul and the killing of two American protesters, Alex Pretti and Renee Good. As the threat of immigration enforcement grows, the plaintiffs argue that ICE action at public K-12 schools and on college campuses is not only a violation of the rights of immigrants but also a disruption to the lives of U.S. citizens."

"That change has endangered students of all backgrounds, driven away families from classrooms and obstructed access to education, said Democracy Forward, the nonprofit law firm that is representing plaintiffs. The firm specifically pointed to overall attendance rates among schools in the Twin Cities, saying in a news release that "some districts [are] reporting attendance declines of nearly one-third within weeks.""

""This is unlawful, reckless, and legally and morally indefensible," Democracy Forward president and CEO Skye Perryman said in a news release. "We are in court because children should never have to look over their shoulders at school or worry that their loved ones could be taken away at the schoolhouse gate, and because the government cannot undermine decades of settled policy without regard for students, educators, or the law.""

A coalition of public school districts and university faculty filed a lawsuit challenging Department of Homeland Security policies that permit ICE detainments on or near public education campuses. The complaint was filed in U.S. District Court in Minnesota after increased ICE activity in Minneapolis and Saint Paul and the killings of two protesters. Plaintiffs say ICE operations at K-12 schools and college campuses violate immigrant rights and disrupt the lives of U.S. citizens. Federal regulations had designated schools and churches as sensitive locations until the policy was revoked on Jan. 21, 2025. The revocation has reportedly endangered students, driven families from classrooms, and produced steep attendance declines in Twin Cities schools. Democracy Forward represents the plaintiffs and calls the policy change unlawful and indefensible.

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