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Parents, teachers and students urge Alachua board to block ICE from schools after district memo
Summary
Dozens of parents, students and educators told the Alachua County School Board during public comment they expect clearer protections after a district memo described staff compliance with immigration agents; speakers cited FERPA, the Fourth Amendment and Title VI while asking the board to clarify protocols and protect student safety.
Dozens of community members used the meeting’s public‑comment period April 15 to press the Alachua County School Board for clearer policies limiting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities in schools, saying recent district guidance raised fear among students and families.
Speakers — including parents, teachers, students and an immigration attorney — said the district’s memo describing staff responsibilities when approached by immigration agents risked turning schools into extensions of federal enforcement. Several speakers said school officials must refuse requests that would separate children from families unless presented with a lawful judicial warrant.
Why the issue surfaced
Public commenters repeatedly referenced a district memo about interactions with ICE that, they said, instructed staff to comply with requests from federal agents. Denise Mendez, introduced herself as an immigration attorney and told the board that such compliance would be unlawful without a judicial warrant or parental consent: “You are literally the last line of defense that these children have before they are snatched from their families,” she said. Doctoral student Laura Franklin told the board that complying with the mandate would force educators to violate the district’s own standards for protecting students’ safety and mental health: “By agreeing to enforce this mandate, you, the school board, would be asking teachers and administrators to violate the standards of ethical conduct that the board itself is responsible for upholding,” she said.
Parents and students described trauma and attendance impacts. Several public speakers said younger students were frightened, cited instances elsewhere in the country where ICE agents attempted school entries, and urged the board to publish clear, written protocols to explain when law‑enforcement or federal agents may enter school property and what notification parents may expect.
Legal points raised by commenters
Multiple commenters referenced legal protections and guidance:
- FERPA (student‑record privacy) and the Fourth Amendment were cited by speakers urging limits on access to children and student records without appropriate legal process. One commenter said Title VI of the Civil Rights Act requires equal access to education regardless of immigration status.
- The immigration attorney, Denise Mendez, urged school officials to require a judicial warrant and parental notification before a child could be removed and said the district had a legal obligation under federal civil‑rights law to provide education without discrimination.
Board response and next steps
Board members acknowledged the volume and intensity of comments. Board members did not take an immediate formal vote or adopt a new policy at the meeting. Several members asked staff for clarification and additional information; the board asked the administration to return with clearer written guidance for parents and staff about existing legal limits, notification practices and the district’s procedures when law enforcement or federal agents seek access to students.
Speakers and themes
Speakers included parents, teachers and students: Monique Constantino (parent), Laura Franklin (doctoral student and former educator), Denise Mendez (immigration attorney), Emily Hind (parent), Rebecca Reagan (Gainesville High School teacher), Leanne Rohn (district teacher of the deaf/hard of hearing), Norell Nolan (parent), students from Gainesville High School and others. A Spanish‑language caucus speaker reiterated community concerns for Spanish‑speaking families and asked for information in languages other than English.
Ending
The board did not adopt new restrictions at the meeting; it asked staff to prepare clarifying communications to families and to return with a written protocol for review. Members said they expected administration to outline the district’s current legal obligations and what the district can and cannot do under state law and federal civil‑rights protections.
