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Student testimony: ICE activity is frightening families, students tell Marlborough school board
Summary
A Marlborough High student described unmarked ICE activity that she said traumatized neighbors and forced some students to miss school; the superintendent told the committee the district has protocols and a communication plan and administrators followed them during recent incidents.
A Marlborough High School junior told the school committee that unmarked Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in neighborhoods has left students and families afraid to attend school.
“I woke up at 5:00 a.m. to hear pounding footsteps and yelling outside my window,” student Maggie Morrisy said in public comment. She described masked, armed agents in unmarked vehicles who detained people her neighbors knew; she said those events and widespread fear have caused students to stay home and disrupted graduation and other school activities.
Morrisy urged the district to increase communication with families about their rights when encountering law enforcement and to underscore school protections. ‘‘More communication with families that the school is on their side and that the school will protect students on school property,’’ she said.
Board members asked the superintendent whether the district has protocols for encounters with ICE on campus or nearby. The superintendent said there are “very stringent protocols in place” and that administrators followed the communication protocol this year when agents appeared, notifying central office staff and responding to protect students.
Why it matters: Student accounts of immigration-enforcement activity can affect attendance, student well-being and school participation. The committee’s response focused on operational protections and communication — not on enforcement agency activity — and the district said the issue requires ongoing outreach to families.
What happened next: Committee members expressed sympathy and urged more outreach; the superintendent said the district is sending communications to families and has supports in place, but no policy change or vote was taken at the meeting.
