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Several Tyler ISD speakers urge district to publish procedures for immigration enforcement in schools
Summary
Six public commenters asked Tyler ISD to release clear, district-wide guidance about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) interactions with schools, citing fear and mental-health impacts among students and families.
Six community members and local advocates used the board’s public-participation period to urge Tyler ISD to publish clear, district-wide procedures for handling Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) interactions and to reassure families that schools are safe places.
Speakers — including Remy Fernandez, bilingual therapist Dr. Nelina Medina Perez, organizer Emily Pinnell, community advocate Lizeth Zavala, Matthew Bailey of East Texas Monarchs and Dimas Rodriguez — said fear of immigration enforcement is causing anxiety, attendance drops and mental-health concerns among students. Dr. Medina Perez, who identified herself as a bilingual therapist, a business owner and a TISD alumna, told the board several neighboring districts had released written statements and asked why Tyler ISD had not done the same. “Are our children safe with you within the schools you represent? Will you allow ICE to enter your schools?” she asked.
Multiple speakers cited federal privacy law and the 1982 Supreme Court decision Plyler v. Doe in urging proactive district communications. Emily Pinnell, a Tyler resident and PTA member, asked the board to publish whether “no individual is allowed inside the school without being listed in a student's file,” and asked the district to make any existing guidance public rather than requiring parents to contact school sites individually. Matthew Bailey, representing the nonprofit East Texas Monarchs, and Dimas Rodriguez, a father and counselor in training, described increased anxiety, self-harm and student absenteeism they attribute to fear of family separation.
Speakers asked for specifics the transcript shows the community wants: whether TISD would call child-protective services if a child is not picked up, whether the district will accept powers of attorney or notarized caregiving documents, and whether staff are trained on relevant procedures. The board did not provide a new written statement during the meeting; board policy was reiterated that trustees listen during public comment but cannot respond from the dais.
