As the academic year unfolds, school districts face an urgent responsibility to protect the emotional and psychological well-being of their students and their families. With escalating immigration enforcement and new policies reshaping family life, schools often serve as the primary safe haven—a sanctuary of belonging where families turn when the world outside feels uncertain.
While federal guidance historically limited enforcement at "sensitive locations" (such as schools), current policies have shifted. Today, proactive preparation isn't just about legal compliance; it’s about ensuring that fear does not stall a child’s education.
Important Note: While this post focuses on student and family support, your school must also have a technical protocol for handling ICE agents if they arrive. For a detailed checklist on verifying judicial warrants, designating "non-public" zones, and staff drills, please see our ICE Response Plan for Educators.
In this post:
- The Emotional Reality: How enforcement climate impacts learning and attendance.
- Trauma-Informed Support: Identifying and responding to student distress.
- Family Advocacy: Helping parents navigate "Know Your Rights" and emergency planning.
- Building Sanctuary: Creating a culture of belonging that transcends policy.
Understanding the impact of fear
Many U.S. public school students live in mixed-status families. A routine traffic stop or neighborhood enforcement action blocks away can cause ripples of anxiety that lead to decreased school attendance, lower academic performance, and eroded trust in public institutions.
Recent national data confirms what educators are seeing firsthand. A 2025 UCLA Institute for Democracy, Education, and Access (IDEA) study found that 70.4% of U.S. public high schools reported students expressing concern for their personal or family safety due to immigration rhetoric, and 63.8% reported students missing school because of these fears. Fear is not an isolated emotional response—it is a systemic barrier to attendance and learning.
Under the 1982 Supreme Court decision Plyler v. Doe, every child has the right to attend public school regardless of immigration status. Our job as educators is to ensure that right is protected not just legally, but emotionally.
How educators can support families
Supporting families means addressing both the emotional toll of enforcement fears and the systems schools rely on when that fear becomes reality.
With a push for high-volume enforcement across the country, families are under unprecedented pressure. Here is how schools can move from passive bystanders to active pillars of support:
Be trauma-informed
Toxic stress interferes with the brain’s ability to learn. Watch for sudden changes in behavior, withdrawal, or unexplained absences. Offer consistent, supportive relationships and ensure your school’s mental health resources are accessible to multilingual families.
Following local immigration enforcement actions, some schools report attendance drops of approximately 10% among immigrant students, even when enforcement does not occur on school grounds. The emotional toll extends beyond absenteeism. More than one-third of principals (35.6%) report incidents of bullying or harassment directed at immigrant students, including students being asked degrading questions like, “Can I see your papers?” These experiences compound stress, erode trust, and interfere with a student’s ability to focus, regulate emotions, and engage academically.
Implement flexible learning options
If a family feels forced to "go underground" for safety, punitive truancy measures only add to their crisis. Where possible, offer virtual or flexible learning packets to keep the student engaged in their education without compromising their family's security.
Facilitate emergency planning
Don't wait for a crisis. Proactively help families update their emergency contact forms. Ensure they have designated authorized caregivers who have the legal right to pick up their children if a parent is detained. Learn what to do when ICE shows up at your school.
Host "Know Your Rights" (KYR) sessions
Host KYR sessions in multiple languages to empower families. For example, one of our students, Ernesto, successfully refused to sign self-deportation papers while detained because he had practiced his rights in a school-led workshop.
Creating a sanctuary of belonging
A school's culture is its strongest defense. When every adult at school—from the cafeteria to the classroom—reaffirms that a student’s status is private and their presence is valued, the "fear factor" loses its power.
At Fugees Family, belonging is reinforced through intentional daily practices that restore a sense of control and safety. One core routine is the House Huddle, a predictable daily gathering that builds connection and establishes emotional safety through consistency. For students whose lives are marked by uncertainty, predictability is a powerful stabilizer.
Healing is also supported through the daily integration of Art and Movement, including activities such as soccer, yoga, and martial arts. These practices help students regulate stress, release stored tension, and reconnect with their bodies—often reaching students more effectively than language-based interventions alone.
How Fugees Family can help
We offer specialized training for educators to help bridge the gap between policy and empathy:
- Free 30-Minute Consultations
To assess your current readiness and identify immediate needs. - Customised Professional Development
Tailored training to ensure every adult on campus acts with clarity and confidence. We provide a multi-year roadmap for immersion classes and data-driven success metrics. - "Standing Strong" Webinar
A 60-minute session offering essential tools and protocols based on real-world experiences, including lessons in media engagement and family support. Sign Up for the Standing Strong Webinar
Let’s replace fear with preparedness and uncertainty with courage. Every child deserves to come to school without wondering if raising their hand will make them visible to the wrong people.
To schedule a free consultation, reach out to Kerri at teranga@fugeesfamily.org. We are stronger together.
Frequently asked questions
- What resources are available to help families navigate ICE enforcement?
Fugees Family provides a variety of resources designed to support refugee and immigrant families, including specific ICE Encounter and Detention Tools. These resources are part of a broader library intended to help families understand their rights and remain safe.
- How does immigration enforcement affect the learning environment for English learners?
For English learners, school is often a "second home" and a "second family" where they feel safe to share their challenges. Enforcement actions can create fear and instability that disrupts this sense of belonging, making it harder for students to focus on their academic acceleration.
- Can school districts take proactive steps to support English learners facing these challenges?
Yes. Schools can prioritize creating an environment where every student is "seen" as an individual and feels safe from the moment they walk in the door. Fugees Family offers professional development and district partnerships to help educators design schools that are supportive and protective of their most vulnerable students.
- Does Fugees Family engage in advocacy regarding student safety and immigration?
Advancing educational justice is at the core of the mission. This includes policy and advocacy work aimed at shaping laws and building community support to ensure that every student can thrive in a safe and high-standards environment.
- How does a safe environment contribute to the results of English learners?
When students feel safe and supported, their potential is unlocked. This approach has led to transformative results, including 89% of students achieving grade-level proficiency within three years and a 100% college acceptance rate for graduates.
- How can I support English learners facing these challenges?
You can become a supporter by donating to help empower English learners. Your contributions ensure that refugee and immigrant students continue to receive the intensive, personalized interventions and holistic support they need to succeed.
