Student backpacks hang on the backs of classroom chairs on the second to last day of school. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
Immigration raids are sweeping throughout the nation at an unprecedented rate as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detain and deport migrants by the thousands, targeting spaces and public places like churches, parks and schools once deemed protected areas.
A portion of these migrants currently in ICE custody are children, which has always been the case in the U.S. Under Trump’s second administration, however, that population has skyrocketed from 25 to nearly 170 children held on a daily average, according to data from the Deportation Data Project analyzed by The Marshall Project.
With over 68,000 migrants currently in ICE detention centers, according to data analyzed by Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), and the additional boost of $3.4 billion granted by Congress to expand detention facilities, immigration enforcement operations show no sign of stopping or slowing down.
In the face of Trump’s increased operations in Arizona, as reported in a CALÓ News analysis, these are some of the many ways Valley school districts are beginning to prepare their faculty, staff, families and students in the event of immigration enforcement activity on or near campus.
A 5-year-old preschooler, Liam Conejo Ramos, was taken by federal agents from the driveway of his metro Minneapolis home Tuesday after returning from preschool and is being held with his asylum-seeking father at an ICE camp in Texas. ICE is busy blaming the dad, but it is clear that this sort of atrocity is what happens when the Trump Feds wage war on brown people in any and all locations and situations. Whether it's shuttling kids to school or home, or at the store, workplace, or at immigration court, ICE and Republicans want brown people to know they are not safe anywhere. Free baby Liam immediately from the ICE camp in Texas, and stop terrorizing our communities NOW!
Safety resolutions to barr ICE on campuses
In light of the news coming out of Minneapolis, where protests sparked following the notorious detention of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, it is becoming clear to districts that schools that used to be considered a “sensitive location” for immigration enforcement are just another target for operations.
In January of 2025, Valley schools began enacting initiatives while also remaining in compliance with state and federal law — which includes the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) that protects the personal identification information of students by prohibiting school faculty and staff from sharing such information with federal agents.
Governing school boards have also proactively passed policies that would protect their students’ right to unimpeded education by barring immigration agents from campuses. Some of the schools that have passed these kinds of safety resolutions include:
Some, like the Cartwright district, which oversees several schools in the predominantly Latino Maryvale neighborhood in west Phoenix, implemented those safety measures in 2024. Meanwhile, the majority of districts made those decisions just last year.
“The District has a responsibility to ensure that all students who reside within its boundaries, regardless of immigration status, can safely access a free public K-8 education,” a statement posted to Washington Elementary School District’s website regarding the board’s implementation of their ‘Safe and Stable Schools’ resolution states. “The Board declares WESD to be a Safe Zone for its students, meaning that the District is a place for students to learn, to thrive and to seek assistance, information, and support related to any immigration law enforcement that interferes with their learning experience.”
Know-Your-Rights trainings and provided resources
There’s no shortage of resources being offered by schools for families and students to utilize during these polarizing times.
According to the Arizona Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (AZALAS), over 45% of students currently enrolled in Arizona public schools are Hispanic or Latino. To better prepare their students’ families, Valley schools are offering listed resources, such as referral contact information for legal assistance, immigration advocates and Know-Your-Rights presentations and fact sheets.
School districts that have immigration resources for their students’ and their families include:
“Our top priority is the safety and well-being of every student and family in our community,” states Isaac School District’s published statement regarding immigration enforcement. “We are aware of recent updates at the federal and state levels, and we want to address questions about how these changes may affect our schools.”
ICE activity near schools and learning alternatives
Schools’ faculty, staff and their governing bodies are also navigating how to protect their students while also providing them with an accessible education.
To address ongoing questions or concerns families have about the safety of their children while on campus, several school districts in metro Phoenix have released statements to address fears, answer questions and reiterate their stance on where immigration enforcement authority ends and the districts’ begins.
Several have even offered virtual learning options for students who are fearful of the risks of going to classes in-person.
Schools in the Valley that have thus far released public statements regarding immigration include:
School districts offering virtual learning for students include:
“[We] will continue to operate through the declaration in which the United States Supreme Court held in Plyler v. Doe (1982) that no public school district has a basis to deny children access to education based on their immigration status, citing that children have little to no control over their immigration status, the harm it would inflict on the child and society itself, and equal protection rights of the 14th Amendment,” reads the statement released by the Balsz Elementary School District.
Concerned community and family members can find further information at district websites, seek additional assistance from immigration advocacy organizations based in and around the Phoenix area and learn how to get involved locally to help their neighbors.
Analisa Valdez (she/her) is a freelance journalist based in Phoenix. Her reporting includes community & culture, social justice, arts, business, and politics.
This reporting was produced in partnership between CALÓ News and Chavez Media Foundation and La Campesina Radio with funding provided by the Latino Media Collaborative.
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