Minneapolis Public Schools offer remote learning through Feb. 12 amid ICE enforcement fallout
Minneapolis Public Schools will offer an e-learning option through Feb. 12, 2026, framing the remote program as a safety and stability measure in response to ongoing federal ICE enforcement operations and community fear after the Renee Good shooting. The district said families of eligible grades and school types can opt into remote instruction, provided guidance on enrollment, noted changes in attendance patterns tied to enforcement, and will review the remote option as the enforcement period continues.
📌 Key Facts
- Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) is offering an e-learning/remote-learning option that is set to run through Feb. 12, 2026.
- The district framed the remote option explicitly as a response to ongoing federal immigration enforcement operations (ICE) in Minneapolis and related community fear and stability concerns, not solely as a follow-up to the Renee Good shooting.
- MPS described the remote option primarily as a safety and stability measure during the enforcement period and said the option will be reviewed as the situation evolves.
- District statements and quotes accompanying the announcement addressed safety, observed student attendance patterns, and the expected duration and review process for the remote option.
- The reporting includes additional practical details beyond initial high-level descriptions (including an earlier 'strike-avoidance' framing): it specifies which grades or school types are eligible/participating and explains how families can opt into remote learning.
📊 Relevant Data
In the 2023-2024 school year, Hispanic/Latino students made up 20.3% of the student body in Minneapolis Public Schools, while Black students comprised 26.6%, with Somalis being a significant portion of the Black category.
Minneapolis Public School District — U.S. News Education
An estimated 130,000 unauthorized immigrants lived in Minnesota in 2022, representing about 2.3% of the state's population.
Mapped: Minnesota's growing unauthorized immigrant population — Axios
The Trump administration deployed around 2,000 federal agents to Minneapolis in January 2026 as part of the largest federal immigration enforcement operation ever, targeting undocumented immigrants.
2,000 federal agents sent to Minneapolis area to carry out 'largest immigration operation ever,' ICE says — PBS NewsHour
Studies from 2015-2025 show that immigration enforcement actions lead to increased student absences and reduced test scores in affected communities, particularly among U.S.-born and foreign-born Spanish-speaking students.
The Effects of Immigration Enforcement on Student Outcomes in a Large Urban District — EdWorkingPapers
Somali immigration to Minnesota surged in the 1990s due to the Somali civil war, with resettlement facilitated by U.S. refugee programs and voluntary agencies like Lutheran Social Services and Catholic Charities.
How Minnesota became the center of the Somali diaspora — Sahan Journal
Minnesota's total immigrant population was approximately 524,000 in 2024, representing about 9% of the state's residents, with 16.7% of immigrants being undocumented.
How many immigrants are in Minnesota? — USAFacts
Immigration enforcement in California during 2025 was linked to a rise in chronic absenteeism among students in districts with high immigrant populations.
Research Notes: Study Links Immigration Raids to Rise in Student Absenteeism — FutureEd
📰 Source Timeline (3)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Confirms that the district’s e-learning option is explicitly set to run through Feb. 12, 2026, rather than being an open‑ended 'month-long' concept.
- Clarifies that the remote option is being framed by MPS primarily as a safety and stability measure in response to ongoing ICE operations and community fear, not just the immediate aftermath of the Renee Good shooting.
- Provides additional practical details about eligibility/participating school levels (such as which grades or school types are included) and how families opt in, beyond the earlier high‑level description.
- Clarifies that the remote-learning option is framed explicitly as a response to ongoing federal immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis, not just the immediate aftermath of the Renee Good shooting.
- Provides additional detail on how families can opt into remote learning and which grades or schools are covered, beyond the initial strike-avoidance framing.
- Adds updated district statements/quotes about safety, student attendance patterns, and the expected duration and review of the remote option during the enforcement period.