Parents, teachers and mental-health professionals urge Woodburn board to bar ICE from school buildings without a warrant

At the Woodburn School District board meeting this evening, parents, teachers and community mental-health providers urged the board to tighten district policy KNAR so that federal immigration officers may not enter any school building, including offices, without a judicial warrant.

Why it matters: Speakers said recent enforcement actions in other cities have shown officers entering campus grounds and, in some accounts, exposing students to violence and chemical agents. Commenters pressed the board to clarify protocols, require off-campus contact unless a warrant is presented, and adopt immediate notification and lockdown procedures to protect students and staff.

Several speakers gave detailed, personal accounts and proposals. Tony Salm, a public commenter, said the district’s existing language is inadequate and asked the board to "amend policy KNAR to make it clear that immigration officers, absent a judicial warrant, would not be permitted to enter any part of school property, including the office, and that any conversation with school administrators must take place outside the premises." He cited a recent Minneapolis incident as evidence of risk.

Adrian Montoya, a Woodburn resident and parent, urged the board to require that administrators verify officers’ purpose, contact district legal counsel and PIRC, and meet federal agents outside school grounds. "Access to schools should require a judicial warrant," Montoya said, and urged immediate notification protocols and lockdowns when enforcement occurs nearby.

Max Sanchez, a teacher, recounted what he described as an "unprecedented escalation of ICE violence" and told the board that the district’s direction to escort officers to the front office is insufficient because many school front offices open onto hallways. "Students are becoming targets, and schools are no longer safe spaces," Sanchez said, asking the board to adopt exterior lockout and full lockdown triggers if agents try to enter.

Several staff and community members amplified those concerns. Marie Palmer (speaking for Lee) and Midori (reading for Rena) emphasized fear in migrant families and proposed procedural steps such as showing any warrant through glass before inviting officers in. Carol Kramer, a special education assistant, recommended specific AR wording changes (for example, using the plural "officers") and suggested administrators inspect warrants at locked entrance glass; she also described the district’s rapid response volunteers as a valuable layer of protection.

The superintendent and board noted existing work on related policy and administrative rules. Superintendent Juan Larios told the board that the district has revised its administrative rule and framed that work as responsive to community concerns; he said, "to my knowledge we’re the only district in Oregon that has incorporated language specific to federal immigration authorities and how we...respond into an AR and into a policy." Board members discussed the need for unified talking points when addressing community concerns to avoid confusion.

No formal policy change was adopted at the meeting. The public-comment period was advisory; board members listened and agreed to use public input to inform future discussions and communications. The board did not vote on amendments to KNAR during this session; follow-up will occur through the superintendent’s office and future agenda items if the board elects to pursue revisions.

What comes next: Board members asked staff to prepare clear, consistent talking points about current practice and protocols and to coordinate with school administrators; public commenters asked the board to place a formal amendment on a future agenda.