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Parents ask Round Lake CUSD 116 to strengthen ICE response policy; board pledges legal review
Summary
Several parents urged the board to require judicial warrants and adopt a lockdown/communication protocol before allowing ICE/CBP access to school property; the superintendent said the district’s current protocol was drafted by a major law firm and promised to have legal counsel review proposed Chicago Public Schools language.
Multiple parents urged the Round Lake CUSD 116 Board of Education to revise the district’s ICE response policy after recent county incidents involving immigration enforcement were discussed during public comment.
Claudia Lira, a parent, asked the board to review the district’s February 3, 2025 ICE response policy and to require a signed judicial warrant verified by district legal counsel before granting ICE or CBP agents access to school premises. “I would deny any request or access to my students’ records or to students’ interview by ICE or CBP agents” unless a judicial warrant is verified, Lira said.
Alma Gonzalez and Maria De Lourdes urged similar changes and asked that the district adopt a lockdown process and stronger communication to families about agents on or near school grounds. De Lourdes said she was requesting the district adopt language similar to Chicago Public Schools’ draft federal agent safety plan and noted incidents in both Waukegan and Round Lake where families were affected.
Superintendent Mendoza responded that the district’s current protocol was “drafted and crafted by one of the top two largest legal firms in the state of Illinois,” and thanked the public commenter for providing materials. Mendoza said the district will consult with legal counsel to compare the Chicago Public Schools materials with the district’s protocol and report back to the board with any enhancements.
Board members and staff said they would follow up directly with parents about related special-education and MTSS (multi-tiered systems of support) concerns raised during public comment.
