Students and community members press Union County Board to declare schools safe from ICE and tighten procedures

Students, parents and community members told the Union County Board of Education that school officials should adopt a written policy declaring schools safe from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and require stricter procedures before law-enforcement contact with students.

At the meeting, Luna Portillo Delgado said board members dismissed students— concerns as "rumors" and urged the board to treat the issue seriously. "The threat of Union County families being separated by ICE is a legitimate concern," she said.

The comments followed two walkouts by Monroe High School students earlier this year. Sixth-grader Skyler Breeder told the board the students want two specific changes: a written statement that schools will be safe from ICE, and policy language requiring a judge-signed warrant before ICE may engage with students, plus a reasonable period for parents to be present. "For me and my friends, it's unbelievably traumatizing to even think that law enforcement can take a student," Breeder said.

Speakers described community organizing and protests that followed the incidents. Ingrid Portillo praised students for marching, attending town halls and speaking in Charlotte, saying they asked that "UCPS never cooperate with ICE" and that "UCPS declares our school safe zones." Kobe Blackburn, a parent and resident, urged the board to adopt preventive measures even if ICE has not yet acted inside Union County schools.

Several speakers singled out Reverend Kirkpatrick for meeting with students and holding a district town hall; they said other board members did not engage directly with students on the matter. One speaker, identified at the mic as David Petulio Delgado, said he had attempted to bring concerns to the board and criticized an "excessive deployment" of Monroe police at the high school during protests.

Board chair and staff did not respond to questions during the public comment period other than to reiterate the board's public-comment rules; the board's published meeting notice reminded speakers that members will not respond during the comment period and that cabinet staff are available for follow-up.

The speakers asked for three concrete outcomes: a written board statement that UCPS schools are safe from ICE enforcement; policy language requiring a judicial warrant before officers may speak with or remove a student; and a requirement that parents be given reasonable time to be present when law enforcement seeks to speak with their child.

No formal action or vote on amendments to district policy was recorded in the meeting minutes or transcript excerpt for this session. Board members did not make motions to adopt the requested language during the public-comment segment.

The board will consider follow-up through cabinet staff; public-comment rules posted at the meeting direct constituents to cabinet staff for matters that cannot be addressed during open comment.