Residents, teachers urge Alachua County School Board to require warrants or parental consent before ICE interactions at schools

Dozens of parents, teachers and students used the public comment period at the Alachua County School Board meeting on March 12 to press the board to bar Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers from questioning or removing students on campus unless they present a judicial warrant or parental consent.

Speakers described fear, traumatic impacts on learning, and requests for specific protections. "When ICE is allowed in schools, it doesn't only affect undocumented students," parent David Flores said. "All children, our children, regardless of their immigration status, experience fear, anxiety, and distress when they see their classmates, their friends and best friends, and even their own family members being targeted." Several teachers and staff asked the district to issue clearer guidance and training for employees.

The appeals for a district-level prohibition came after staff circulated a memo readers described at the meeting as sanctioning broad ICE authority to interview or detain students on campus. Speakers asked the board to adopt explicit rules—examples offered included requiring a judicial warrant before questioning or detaining a student, prohibiting school staff from voluntarily cooperating with immigration enforcement, and providing staff training on how to handle encounters.

Why it matters: multiple speakers said the presence of ICE in schools would reduce attendance, harm student mental health and academic performance, and risk racial profiling. Several commenters pointed to Plyler v. Doe, the 1982 U.S. Supreme Court decision that guarantees children access to public education, and warned that fear-driven absences could undermine that right. Ninth-grade student Zachary Olivas asked the board to consider the effect on graduation rates, saying, "I want to know what's the district's plan to address the incoming drop in attendance and school graduation rates."

Teachers asked for concrete procedural detail and liability guidance. GHS teacher Joe Waddell said educators need a playbook: "We need a plan. That's a lot of the stress right now in teachers is we don't know what's expected of us." Several speakers cited local examples of other Florida districts requiring warrants or ID checks before law-enforcement action on campus.

Board and staff response: Board members did not adopt any formal restriction at the March 12 meeting. Several members and district staff indicated they would research what other Florida districts have done and report back. Boardmember comments and staff remarks indicated staff will compile comparative policies and legal guidance for future consideration; the board did not set a date for a vote.

What was not decided: The board did not vote to forbid ICE from campus, nor did it adopt a formal resolution at this meeting. Several speakers urged an immediate, public commitment; the board limited action to directing staff to gather information and legal options.

Looking ahead: Community speakers asked the board to place a formal policy or resolution on a future agenda. Teachers and parents pressed for timely training and clear instructions for staff, and several asked the district to publicly release the guidance it has already provided to employees.