NOTE: Declarants are not available for media interviews/comment; however, links to select declarations filed with the emergency motion for a stay in PCUN v. Noem can be viewed in full below.
ICE Intimidation of Observers
Immigration enforcement officials have been seen parked by school bus stops beginning in January 2026. Our community rapid response group has a procedure to come to any school bus stop where immigration enforcement officials are seen to ensure that students get to and from that stop safely. Although the community members are only there to watch and ensure the safety of the students, the officers have been accusing those community members of interfering with immigration enforcement, even calling them out by name and address.
— Educator, Minnesota
Schools as Safe Spaces
“Knowing that I cannot guarantee students’ safety in my own classroom is a day-to-day stress that wears me down. To begin with, I knew that part of my job could involve protecting my kids from someone with a gun. Now, in addition to that, I have to worry that there might be masked federal agents about to swarm in with guns, too.”
—Educator, Arkansas
“I can tell that most students feel scared. Some are so scared that they don’t know if they can even see their teachers as safe anymore. One student seemed to want to discuss her family’s situation, but stopped short, saying “I know you’re a mandated reporter.” So I tried to reassure her that mandatory reporting was completely separate from immigration. Instances like that make me feel distressed at not being able to comfort my students and knowing that for many, there is now nowhere they feel safe.”
—Educator, Minnesota
“Knowing that I cannot guarantee students’ safety in my own classroom is a day-to-day stress that wears me down. To begin with, I knew that part of my job could involve protecting my kids from someone with a gun. Now, in addition to that, I have to worry that there might be masked federal agents about to swarm in with guns, too.”
—Educator, Arkansas
“It’s terrible to be asked by immigrant parents if their child is safe at school and not being able to answer ‘yes’ with any certainty.
I worry about what would happen to me if immigration enforcement officials tried to take any of my students and I tried to protect them. I would not hesitate to do so, but I fear being physically injured or even killed.”
—Educator, Michigan
“I am afraid of immigration enforcement at school, and so are my students. Students are terrified. One student told me, “if ICE comes and grabs me, make sure to let my parents know.” I have observed more acting out and more anxious energy among my students. It is hard for them, and for me, to focus on education.
“I spent so much time feeling terrified about my students’ safety. It has always been my goal to make a safe space for my students who may not have one, and now I cannot provide that for them at school.”
—Educator, Minnesota
“As for the parents, when they drop their kids off at school they are essentially saying, ‘I am sending you my most precious cargo in the entire world, and I need to know that they will be safe no matter what.’ And I feel awful not being able to guarantee that for them anymore.”
—Educator, Michigan
Impacts of Declining Attendance Out of Fear of ICE
“Parents have told me and our school staff that they are afraid to have their children attend school because of the significant presence of immigration enforcement officials at school bus stops and near the school. One student who had been absent for several days in January 2026 finally returned to school on January 30, because a community member offered to walk with him to school, and he explained that he hadn’t been at school because “ICE was trying to get him.” I understood that he was afraid of being intercepted by the immigration enforcement officers who are regularly present near schools in our district and along the route to our school.”
—Educator, Maine
Select Declarations in Full