Educators demand ICE stay away from Minnesota schools
Education Minnesota leaders held a news conference this week urging ICE agents to stay away from schools after a fatal ICE shooting in Minneapolis and the detention of a Roosevelt High School educator, saying immigration operations are causing lockdowns, mass absences and widespread fear among students and staff. Union leaders cited concrete impacts such as 142 students absent Thursday from Valleyview Elementary in Bloomington and families keeping children home in St. Cloud, while noting the Minnesota Department of Education has issued new guidance allowing districts to shift to e-learning through Feb. 12 if ICE activity disrupts in‑person learning.
📌 Key Facts
- Education Minnesota President Monica Byron and other union leaders said ICE operations near school property have repeatedly forced lockdowns and disrupted instruction, and are creating 'anxiety and fear' for students and staff.
- Bloomington Federation of Teachers President Wendy Marczak reported that 142 students did not attend class Thursday at Valleyview Elementary, which educators attributed to family fears of ICE presence near schools.
- The Minnesota Department of Education issued new guidance stating that districts may move to e-learning through Feb. 12 if necessary because of ICE activity and related safety or attendance concerns.
📊 Relevant Data
Minnesota is home to more than 80,000 ethnic Somalis, the largest Somali community outside of Africa, representing about 1.4% of the state's total population of approximately 5.7 million.
How Minnesota became the center of the Somali diaspora — Sahan Journal
The poverty rate among adult Somali immigrants in Minnesota is 37.5%, compared to 9% for the state overall.
Somali Immigrants in Minnesota — Center for Immigration Studies
Somali immigrants began arriving in Minnesota in large numbers in the 1990s as refugees fleeing civil war, with resettlement facilitated by voluntary agencies including Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota.
Somali and Somali American Experiences in Minnesota — MNopedia
In Minneapolis Public Schools, 23% of students were English Learners in the previous year, with the majority believed to be new immigrants.
Looking for Bright Spots in Minneapolis Public Schools — Southwest Voices
Recent immigration raids in the US coincided with a 22% increase in daily student absences, with particularly large increases among the youngest students and those in schools with higher shares of Hispanic students.
Recent Immigration Raids Increased Student Absences — EdWorkingPapers
Immigration enforcement in the US has been linked to lower test scores for Spanish-speaking students, including US-born citizens, with a study finding reduced performance amid increased enforcement.
Immigration enforcement appears to hurt test scores, study finds — Chalkbeat
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