Immigration resources

Public schools are legally required to educate all students residing within their boundaries. Specifically, the United States Supreme Court has ruled that all children in the United States have the right to attend public school without regard to their immigration status or the immigration status of their parents. (Plyler vs. Doe, 457 U.S. 202). The District is committed to continuing and fully supporting the education of each student regardless of current ICE enforcement efforts.

Parents should access their ParentVue parent/guardian account or contact their student’s school to make sure that they have provided up-to-date emergency contact information for each of their students. This will allow the school to communicate student needs or arrange for a student to be picked up by the emergency contact, if needed. Multiple emergency contacts should be provided where possible.

Parents/guardians can also complete a Delegation of Parent Authority (DOPA) if they are concerned that they may be separated from their student due to ICE enforcement efforts. A DOPA allows persons other than a parent (e.g. grandparents, older siblings, neighbors) to make certain critical decisions (including educational decisions) on behalf of a minor student in the absence of the student’s parents.  

Generally no. ICE Agents will be required to produce identification and a judicial warrant if they appear on school property seeking to interview or take into custody a student or staff member. Exceptions also may exist where there is reason to believe that a person presents an immediate risk to health and safety of themselves or others.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act protects the privacy of student education records and restricts the sharing of personally identifiable information without parental consent. 

Information regarding a student will generally not be provided without expressed written permission of the parent/guardian or without a court order/warrant. This specifically includes private data that will not be released without an authorization from the parent/guardian or an issued court order:

• Student home addresses,
• telephone numbers,
• and email addresses. 

However, it is important to know that certain “directory information” is considered public data. This includes a student’s school of attendance. If you don’t want to have your student’s directory information public, you should contact your school to request this.  

Parents/guardians have the final decision on whether or not to send their children to school. If school is open, students are expected to attend. However, if parents/guardians feel their children would be at risk or in some danger if they were to send their student to school, they can choose to keep them home. 

School absences due to safety concerns will be treated as excused and will not result in truancy actions. Parents or guardians who anticipate a longer term absence from school for their student  (e.g. more than five days) should contact their school to discuss the potential for alternative educational services (e.g. supervised homework).

Students who are experiencing difficulty in the current environment, should contact their school and arrangements will be made to connect their student with a school social worker, counselor or other school support staff. Families experiencing challenges can also visit the Immigrant Law Center or the Immigrant Legal Resource Center for potential resources and support during this time.

Parents/guardians have the final decision on whether or not to send their children to school. If school is open, students are expected to attend. However, if parents/guardians feel their children would be in danger, they can choose to keep them home. Should a family report a student's absence from school due to safety concerns that should be treated as an excused absence. 

The Anoka-Hennepin School District has over eight thousand bus stops which are almost entirely located on property not owned or controlled by the District. Immigration officials have broad authority to engage in enforcement activities in these public places and the school district has limited authority or recourse to limit their activities.

However, if you witness or become aware of pronounced ICE activities near a designated bus stop you should contact your school principal to report your concern. In addition, the District encourages parents who have concerns about their child's bus stop (along with their trusted neighbors) to chaperone or monitor students as they wait for the bus in the morning and get off the bus in the afternoon.