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Immigration · Report · File No. 261112-252

At least 23 states weighed ICE-in-schools laws this year; only 11 of 40 bills passed

An NPR review found states split on how schools should respond when immigration agents appear. Only 11 of 40 proposals became law by the start of this school year, so rules vary widely.

By the National Desk · · 3 min read

Every quote in this story (4) was matched word for word against its source. How we work

My clippings

At least 23 states have considered new laws this year on how federal immigration officers deal with public K-12 schools, according to an NPR analysis. Some states have rules. Many others leave principals and teachers to follow whatever their local district decides 1.

NPR reviewed 40 proposals. Of those, 35 sought to limit federal officers' access to campuses and students. Only one, in Mississippi, sought to make schools cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Only 11 of the 40 had become law by the start of this school year 1.

Why the rules are uneven

At the start of President Trump's second term, the administration rescinded a policy that protected schools and other sensitive places from immigration enforcement. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which houses ICE, said at the time that criminals would no longer be able to hide in schools and churches to avoid arrest 1.

DHS says ICE does not raid or target schools 1. Reporting from K-12 Dive, an education news site, still found several incidents of agents on school grounds last school year 1. A tracker cited by Stateline counts at least 17 ICE encounters on school grounds since the policy was reversed in January 2025 2.

From Channel GOPMamdani says New York will not help ICEZohran Mamdani · 850 plays · captioned, with the source named

Thomas Saenz, president of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, said the loss of the federal policy is likely pushing states to write their own protections 1. Minnesota, Arizona, Delaware, Georgia, Maine and Nebraska were among the states that considered limiting ICE access. Several proposals would require a warrant 1.

Where the bills stalled

Minnesota lawmakers weighed at least five proposals after the immigration crackdown in Minneapolis earlier this year. None reached a final vote 1. Proposals in West Virginia, Hawaii and Kansas to name school campuses sensitive locations also failed 1.

In Tennessee, Democratic Rep. Gabby Salinas sponsored a bill to bar schools from being used as staging areas for immigration enforcement. It failed 1. Republican Rep. Jason Zachary backed a separate measure that would have required schools to report students who are undocumented 1.

Everybody deserves to have a great learning environment, and it's hard to teach when you are worried that one of your students is going to be taken,
Gabby Salinas, Tennessee state representative, Democrat-Memphis1
As legislators, we cannot make informed decisions without data, and right now we simply do not know what the attendance is in our school systems across the state, regarding children who are here illegally,
Jason Zachary, Tennessee state representative, Republican-Knoxville1

Even states with laws have had trouble. Stateline reported that Maryland and Baltimore both have protections, yet ICE agents made an arrest near a Baltimore elementary and middle school on June 11. A federal judge later ordered the man released, finding agents lacked probable cause 2.

A DHS spokesperson, Katherine Currie, told Stateline: "ICE is not going to schools to arrest children — we are protecting children." 2

What principals face now

Principal Kenny Newby of Maplewood, Minnesota, said his district's policy tells staff to ask for paperwork and notify administrators. If agents have a warrant, they go to the district office. He said, "We would not allow them to have direct contact with students." 1

Rob Reetz, principal of Mounds View High School, said a state law could help. If ICE shows up at an away game, he said, it is unclear which district's protocols apply 1.

Some states also considered letting schools charge tuition to students who are not citizens or legal immigrants. Such bills would challenge Plyler v. Doe, the Supreme Court ruling that all children have a right to a free public education. NPR did not count them in its analysis 1.

That matters because a child's school day can depend on the state, or even the district, where the family lives. With no federal guidance, families and school staff are left to learn the rules case by case.

The Record

  1. At the start of Trump's second term, the administration rescinded the policy protecting schools and other sensitive places from immigration enforcement 1.
  2. ICE agents made an arrest near a Baltimore school; a federal judge later ordered the man released, finding no probable cause 2.
  3. NPR reports at least 23 states considered laws on ICE and K-12 schools this year, and 11 of 40 proposals became law 1.
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Sources

  1. NPR, “At least 23 states considered laws governing ICE and schools this year” (2026-11-12). npr.org/2026/11/12/nx-s1-5718547/ice-schools-state-laws-fede
  2. Stateline (via Highland County Press), “States, cities try to keep ICE out of schools” (2026-08-11). highlandcountypress.com/education/states-cities-try-keep-ice

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