BALTIMORE — As the new Trump administration cracks down on federal immigration enforcement, Maryland schools are preparing for potential encounters with ICE agents.
On January 23 the Maryland State Department of Education issued guidance to local school systems on how to handle such situations.
Here are some of the major highlights in the state's memo.
- "Local school officials should cooperate with law enforcement and federal immigration authorities in accordance with their Local Education Agencies (LEAs) policies and guidelines and in consultation with their attorneys."
- "Upon receipt of a request from immigration officials to access student education records, LEAs should immediately consult with their attorneys, to ensure compliance with theFamily Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and COMAR 13A.08.02 regarding the release of personally identifiable information (PII) in a student’s education records without the consent of the parent or eligible student."
- "Before fulfilling a request from federal immigration authorities or law enforcement to enforce immigration laws, LEA employees should immediately contact the local superintendent and school attorneys for legal advice."
- "If federal immigration officials or law enforcement enter a school building seeking access to students (for interviews and/or questioning), school personnel should contact the local superintendent immediately for guidance. School personnel should not argue or debate with immigration enforcement officials but should direct them to the local superintendent or designated administrator for further action."
- "LEA personnel should immediately notify the student’s parent or guardian if an immigration official or law enforcement officer requests or gains access to a student for immigration-enforcement purposes, unless such access was following a judicial warrant or subpoena that restricts the disclosure of the information to the parent or guardian."
Baltimore County Public Schools followed up Sunday evening, sending parents and staff their own letter.
"The safety and well-being of our 110,000 students remains our top priority, and we want to share important reminders for all members of our community that underscore our commitment to fostering safe and inclusive learning environments where all students thrive," the BCPS letter reads. "All children have a right to equal access to a free public education, regardless of the immigration status of the child or their parent/guardian. The 1982 Supreme Court ruling in Plyler v. Doe ensures equal access to education for children regardless of status."
The letter goes onto clarify that schools cannot release personal student information or educational records, unless court ordered or parental consent is given.
Baltimore County Schools Superintendent Myriam Rogers spoke with the media on Tuesday saying there's been no ICE activity thus far.
"That is not a situation we've found ourselves in, and that's not something that we anticipate will happen, also I don't have any information in terms of how enforcement efforts are moving forward, I have received no indication there is a list of last names or anything like that," said Rogers.
According to BCPS, student enrollment only requires proof of residency, not citizenship or immigration status. School staff, however, is required to prove citizenship.
The school system's website says Baltimore County has a 16.9 percent Hispanic/Latino student population.
As an extra precaution, state and local school officials shared a form with families that allows them to designate a “standby guardian” for their children in the event a parent is detained or deported.
On Sunday ICE said they arrested 956 people. The agency followed that up on Monday and Tuesday with 1,179 and 969 arrests.
"Many of these people are violent criminals. These arrests are critical to ensuring the safety of American citizens," the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in a Monday X post (formerly Twitter).
A Gonzalez Poll released earlier this month found 76 percent of Maryland residents support requiring local officials to cooperate with federal agents in their effort to remove those who are illegally in the country committing crimes.
"By party, 96% of Republicans, 77% of independents, and 65% of Democrats support requiring local officials in the state to cooperate with federal law enforcement in its endeavor to carry out Donald Trump’s campaign pledge to arrest and deport people in this country illegally who have committed crimes," the poll stated.
