Resident asks board to adopt noncooperation policy with ICE; superintendent to share updated legal guidance

A Wisconsin Rapids resident urged the School Board during public comment to adopt a formal policy of noncooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), arguing that school-based immigration enforcement disrupts learning and harms children.

Lisa Lee Oswald, who identified herself as a district resident and parent, told the board that the district’s law-enforcement policies had not been updated since 2009 and asked the board to review them for 2025. "Having federal law enforcement agents roaming hallways to pull children out of their learning environment on the suspicion that they or their parent may have questionable immigration status is something we don't have to tolerate here," Oswald said.

Board response: Superintendent Ron acknowledged updated legal recommendations included in the board’s weekly packet and said he would share them with Oswald after the meeting so she could review current guidance. He also encouraged follow-up contact so the resident could offer support in updating local policy.

Why it matters: speakers argued that mistaken arrests and language-based profiling can occur, and they said district policy should explicitly protect student learning environments. The board did not adopt new policy at the meeting; instead trustees directed staff to share the current legal advice and to consider whether policy updates are appropriate.

Ending: The speaker and the superintendent agreed to follow up. The board received the comment as an information request; no formal policy change or vote took place at the meeting.