Union County School Board hears public concerns about ICE access; superintendent says no current plans

Dozens of residents, students and faith leaders urged the Union County Board of Education on Feb. 11, 2025, to adopt clear protocols to protect immigrant students after recent changes in federal immigration policy prompted community concern.

The appeal began during public comment when Dan Ochlander criticized the board’s earlier public remarks and urged officials to prepare administrators to verify warrants and protect students, saying: "When asked to allay concerned parents' fears, you told them to figure it out themselves. This is wholly unacceptable." Several other speakers echoed that request for written guidance and training.

The nut grafs: The concern centered on whether federal immigration agents (ICE) could seek access to students on campus and what steps school staff should take to verify legal documents and protect student privacy. Speakers cited specific district policies and said administrative guidelines were missing. The district’s superintendent and assistant superintendent responded that the district has existing policies and that legal counsel would review any valid law-enforcement paperwork.

Board and public comments

Naira Valle, identified herself as a resident, told the board: "Protecting immigrant students on school grounds is crucial because every child deserves a safe and inclusive learning environment, regardless of their background." Reverend Jennifer Springfellow urged the board to "take a step back, acknowledge that there's an issue so that we can address it," saying the community needs clarity and reassurance.

Several speakers described the potential trauma for children who fear family members could be detained. Chris Harmon, a pastor, said: "We rarely address the trauma associated with violent immigration policies," and asked the board to consider how fear affects students' ability to learn.

District response and current position

Dr. Andrew G. Houlihan, superintendent of Union County Public Schools, told the board: "We are not aware of any current action by law enforcement regarding immigration matters in any of our schools, and we are not aware of any future plans for such." He added the district has "policies and procedures in place" and that principals were given guidance last week.

Mr. McGraw, identified in the meeting as the assistant superintendent for student support and the district's direct point of contact with law enforcement, said district leaders have "conversations ... with our Union County Sheriff, our chiefs of police that serve our schools" and that "currently, there's no plan to change anything we're doing over the last 10, 15 years I've worked with them. There's no plan for them to come into our schools." He added that if law enforcement produces proper legal documentation, "our legal team will review it thoroughly and if our general counsel believes that paperwork to be accurate and legitimate, we will comply."

Policies and gaps cited by speakers

Public commenters cited Board Policy 6-05, titled "Law enforcement involvement on campus," and Policy 4-14 concerning student data. Speakers said Policy 6-05 requires administrators to verify valid judicial warrants before allowing access but noted the lack of administrative guidelines spelling out how to verify warrants, how School Resource Officers should respond, and whether an attorney would be available on short notice.

What the board directed or promised

District staff said they had issued guidance to principals and would continue to monitor developments and coordinate with local law enforcement. Mr. McGraw was identified as the district point of contact for follow-up questions about law-enforcement interactions.

Why it matters

Speakers said the lack of clear, locally communicated procedures increases fear among immigrant families and could disrupt school attendance and student learning. The district said it will continue to rely on legal review of law-enforcement paperwork and existing protocols, while public commenters asked for more proactive, written guidance and training for school administrators and resource officers.

Ending

Board members thanked speakers for raising the issue and reiterated a commitment to student safety. No new district-wide policy was adopted at the meeting; staff said they would continue communications with law enforcement and update the board and community as needed.