On Jan. 21, the Trump administration issued directives that ended the ban on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests in sensitive areas. Under these new directives, ICE can enter schools, churches, hospitals, funerals, and more to carry out immigration enforcement. These directives align with the Trump Administration’s broader immigration policies that intend to deport the millions of illegal immigrants that have entered the United States in recent years.
Under previous directives from the Department of Homeland Security, ICE Agents were required to get approval for these areas, except under cases that involved national security or other critical circumstances. Under the new directives, ICE does not need permission to enter these “sensitive” areas. “I think that giving them the power to enter into these places, especially churches for me, is something that I’m concerned about, because you never know what could happen, and there’s a lot of uncertainty,” sophomore Andrew Kuan said. “I don’t think in general you’ll find those types of criminals in schools or churches. I suppose the directives will have a minor impact, but I think that the cost of it far outweighs the benefit.”
This directive has sparked chaos and fear in local communities, including county executives, parents, staff, and students. Montgomery County Executive Mark Elrich has expressed his worry about these changes. “We are really worried about it. I’m very worried about it,” Elrich said in a FOX5 interview. While a Department of Homeland Security press release says that “criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest,” Elrich and many others are questioning the effect of these changes to catch illegal criminals. “After all the talk about going after all the hard-core criminals – I wonder how many hardcore criminals they are going to find in an elementary school,” Elrich said.
Montgomery County Council President Kate Seward is reassuring those worried about these changes. “I’ve had conversations with our superintendent, and this is very top of mind for him,” Seward said. She reassured parents that MCPS is proactive. “They’ve been training the principals and their front-facing staff on these protocols if ICE happens to go to a school.”
The MCPS “Immigration Supports” page has been updated with useful information for concerned students and their families. This website has information on what to do if Law Enforcement/ICE tries to interact with you, and shows useful information from the American Civil Liberties Union and other nonprofits. The website provides constitutional rights that apply to all people in America regardless of immigration status, such as the protection of self-incrimination (right to remain silent) under the 5th Amendment and protection against unreasonable searches and seizures under the 4th Amendment. MCPS also cites the Supreme Court case Plyler v. Doe from 1982 which guarantees children without legal immigration documentation the right to public education. “Trump is overcoming a lot of barriers in what he’s doing, and it really depends on how strong the constitution is going to be able to hold up with all of these changes,” Kuan said.
