Officials Deny ICE Presence at Manhattan Schools, K-State

Local school district and university refute reports of immigration enforcement activity on campuses.

Published on Feb. 6, 2026

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While there were reports of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity in Manhattan, Kansas on Thursday morning, officials from Unified School District 383 and Kansas State University have denied that any federal immigration operations took place on their campuses that day.

Why it matters

Rumors of ICE raids or presence at schools can cause significant fear and disruption within immigrant communities. The denials from local authorities help provide clarity and reassurance to residents.

The details

Michele Jones, the director of communications, health and safety for USD 383, told The Mercury newspaper that no ICE operations were active on any school campuses on Thursday. Kansas State University also confirmed that ICE was not present on their campus.

  • On Thursday morning, reports of ICE activity in Manhattan surfaced.
  • On Friday, officials from USD 383 and K-State denied that any ICE operations took place at their schools on Thursday.

The players

Michele Jones

The director of communications, health and safety at Unified School District 383 in Manhattan, Kansas.

Unified School District 383

The public school district serving the Manhattan, Kansas area.

Kansas State University

A public research university located in Manhattan, Kansas.

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The takeaway

The denials from local school and university officials help dispel rumors and provide reassurance to the community that federal immigration enforcement was not active on educational campuses in Manhattan on the reported day.