Minnesota Immigrant Families Face Tough Choices on Sending Kids to School

Thousands of children staying home due to fear of immigration enforcement at schools

Published on Feb. 6, 2026

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For many immigrant families in Minnesota, sending a child to school each day requires faith that one of the thousands of federal immigration officers deployed around the state won't detain them. Thousands of children are staying home, often for lack of transportation or simply out of fear. Schools, parents and community groups have mobilized to help students get to class, but the trip to and from school remains one of the only risks some families are willing to take.

Why it matters

This story highlights the difficult choices and constant fear faced by immigrant families in Minnesota, who must weigh the importance of their children's education against the very real threat of detention and deportation. It underscores the impact of aggressive immigration enforcement on vulnerable communities and the erosion of the principle that all children have a constitutional right to attend public school.

The details

Many parents and some children have been detained by immigration authorities, including 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, who was taken into custody with his father in the Minneapolis suburb of Columbia Heights as he was arriving home from school. Schools, parents and community groups have mobilized to help students get to class, with teachers and staff walking and driving students to and from their homes. However, absenteeism has soared across schools in the Twin Cities area, with over 9,000 students absent in the St. Paul district on one day in January.

  • On January 14, over 9,000 students were absent in the St. Paul school district, more than a quarter of the 33,000-student district.
  • In recent weeks, school attendance has dropped by nearly a third in the Fridley school district, a Minneapolis suburb.

The players

Giancarlo

A 10-year-old student who still attends school, though his younger brother has stopped going to daycare due to his mother's fear of immigration agents.

Liam Conejo Ramos

A 5-year-old student who was detained by immigration authorities along with his father as he was arriving home from school in the Minneapolis suburb of Columbia Heights.

Rene Argueta

The family liaison at Valley View Elementary School, who organized a group of teachers and a retired principal to walk and drive students to and from their homes to ensure their safety.

Jenna Scott

A second grade teacher at Valley View Elementary School who tried to keep the conversation light with a former student as she walked the student home, aware of the delicate balance between not scaring the kids and getting them home quickly.

Stacie Stanley

The superintendent of the St. Paul school district, whose voice shook as she read a letter from an elementary school student begging for online learning because they "don't feel safe coming to school because of ICE."

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What they’re saying

“God, please protect my son when he's not at home.”

— Giancarlo's mother

“I don't feel safe with him going to school. But every day he wakes up and wants to go. He wants to be with his friends.”

— Giancarlo's mother

“The teachers cry. It's sad.”

— Giancarlo

“It raises my blood pressure.”

— A mother, an immigrant from Mexico

“I know. Tell your parents you can do it online this time.”

— Jenna Scott, Second grade teacher

What’s next

School officials and community groups continue to work on ways to ensure the safety and attendance of immigrant students, including offering online learning options and organizing escorts to and from school.

The takeaway

This story underscores the immense challenges and fears faced by immigrant families in Minnesota, who must make the difficult choice between their children's education and their own safety. It highlights the need for policies that protect the rights of all children to access public education, regardless of immigration status, and for communities to come together to support vulnerable families.