Teachers Describe Immigration Enforcement's Impact on Classrooms

Educators share how Trump administration policy has disrupted learning for immigrant students

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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In a court filing, teachers across the country detailed how President Trump's immigration crackdown has affected their students, including rumors of raids that scared away students, immigrant parents who stopped sending their children to school, and stories of parents and students being detained by ICE at school bus stops. The filing is part of a lawsuit challenging a Trump administration policy that opened up schools, places of worship, and medical facilities to immigration enforcement.

Why it matters

The testimonies highlight the widespread disruption caused by the Trump administration's immigration enforcement policies, which have created an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty in many immigrant communities. This has had a direct impact on students' ability to attend school and receive an education, raising concerns about equitable access to learning.

The details

The lawsuit was filed by farmworker and teacher unions, churches, and preschool educators, arguing that the Trump administration policy was 'arbitrary and capricious.' The filing includes testimony from 60 teachers and healthcare workers across 18 states, who described incidents such as ICE agents attempting to arrest a parent in a preschool parking lot, a teacher being arrested inside her preschool during morning drop-off, and students switching to virtual learning after a parent was detained at a school bus stop.

  • In recent months, immigration enforcement agents have made 'startling incursions' into communities around the country.
  • Shortly after Trump took office, his administration rescinded the long-standing policy barring immigration authorities from making arrests in schools and other 'protected areas'.
  • In October, during a Chicago operation, ICE agents released tear gas that engulfed a school playground and later arrested a teacher inside her preschool during morning drop-off.

The players

Donald Trump

The former President of the United States whose immigration crackdown policies are the focus of the lawsuit.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

The federal law enforcement agency that has conducted enforcement actions near schools and other 'protected areas' under the Trump administration's revised policy.

Kathryn Anderson

The president of the teachers union in Chelsea, Massachusetts, who stated that immigration enforcement has been more disruptive to learning than the COVID-19 pandemic.

Department of Homeland Security

The federal agency that oversees immigration enforcement and did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit.

Farmworker and teacher unions, churches, and preschool educators

The plaintiffs who filed the lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's immigration enforcement policy.

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What they’re saying

“Right now, kids of all backgrounds are being prevented from going to school because of the extremely real fear that either they or their family members will be separated.”

— Kathryn Anderson, Teachers union president in Chelsea, Massachusetts (wbal.com)

“As an educator … having to help kids move through and exist in that fear (has) been a near impossible task.”

— Kathryn Anderson, Teachers union president in Chelsea, Massachusetts (wbal.com)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide whether to halt the Trump administration's immigration enforcement policy as the lawsuit proceeds.

The takeaway

This case highlights the significant disruption that the Trump administration's immigration enforcement policies have caused in schools and communities, undermining students' access to education and creating an atmosphere of fear that educators struggle to address.