Parents, students and health experts urge Wake County school board to shield immigrant families from enforcement

At the Wake County Board of Education meeting on Feb. 4, students, parents and community organizations urged school leaders to block immigration-enforcement activity on campus and to issue clearer, stronger protections for immigrant families, saying fear of enforcement is harming children’s ability to learn.

“Every child deserves the chance to learn in an environment free from fear,” said Bailey Owens, a junior at Apex Friendship High School, during the meeting’s public comment period. “I know you are working on a policy, and I urge you to be thorough and unrelenting in the protection of our staff and students.”

The plea came after a series of federal actions and public statements about immigration enforcement that commenters said have amplified anxiety among families. Fernando Martinez, representing community groups including the Lucas and Justice Alliance, told the board Wake County is one of the country’s largest districts and should “be bolder” in protecting students. “Our families are confused. Our families are afraid,” Martinez said.

Health professionals told the board that the fear has measurable effects on children. Dr. Edith Nieves, a board-certified pediatrician, cited research on “toxic stress” and described signs teachers may see in children under stress: withdrawal, difficulty focusing, appetite changes and school absences. “It is our duty as a society to safeguard the well-being of children,” Nieves said.

Other speakers gave personal accounts. Carmen Flores, a community organizer whose remarks were translated into English at the meeting, said parents and children in her community “demand immigration enforcement out of our schools” and asked that school police not interrogate students without parents present. Jessica Guandique described how her son’s caregiver — an undocumented family member — risks arrest simply by stopping at school, and said the family worries about the child’s mental health and exposure to bullying.

A community organizer, Griselda Alonso, told the board that undocumented residents make sizable economic contributions to North Carolina and again urged the board to provide mental-health supports for affected families. Several speakers asked the board for training for area superintendents, bus drivers and school leaders on how to distinguish lawful court orders from other documents and how to respond if an enforcement agent visits a school.

Superintendent Robert Taylor told the board the district has shared guidance with principals and staff about how to respond if an immigration agent appears at a school and reiterated the district’s top priority. “Our number one priority is to make sure that students are safe when they come to school,” Taylor said, adding that the district does not ask for immigration information when students enroll.

Chair Haggerty and several board members acknowledged the crowd and the distress described by parents and speakers. The chair said the board was navigating fast-moving federal developments and emphasized that the district will interpret and follow the law while seeking to minimize harm to students.

Speakers asked the district for additional concrete steps: clearer and more public schoolwide statements affirming schools as safe spaces, training and legal clinics for families, stronger direction to school resource officers and staff on how to handle enforcement visits, better access to bilingual mental-health counselors, and public communication aimed at reducing fear among families.

The board did not take a formal vote on new policy during the Feb. 4 meeting. Taylor said the district will continue to interpret federal guidance as it is issued and will communicate required compliance and recommended practices to school leaders. Community groups in the audience asked for follow-up meetings and public updates about any new or refined district guidance.

Why it matters: Advocates told the board that fear of enforcement can reduce attendance, impair focus and increase trauma for students and families — outcomes that school officials say undermine the district’s academic mission and students’ health.

What’s next: Superintendent Taylor said staff will continue to provide guidance and training; community advocates asked the board to adopt firmer public statements and to organize legal and mental-health supports for families who say they are living in fear.