St. Paul, Minn. — Minnesota school districts and educators returned to federal court today seeking an emergency order to stop immigration enforcement activity at and around public schools, warning that federal agents’ presence near classrooms and school bus stops is devastating attendance, draining school resources, and traumatizing children. The filing comes as the nation honors Public Schools Week, an annual week-long celebration dedicated to honoring the educators and staff making a difference in America’s public schools and the communities they serve.
The plaintiffs, Fridley Public Schools (ISD 14), Duluth Public Schools (ISD 709), and Education Minnesota, filed a motion asking the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota to block the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) abrupt rescission of longstanding protections that for more than three decades limited immigration enforcement in “sensitive locations,” such as schools. The plaintiffs filed a lawsuit earlier this month, seeking to block immigration enforcement activity in or near public schools. Democracy Forward, Zimmerman Reed LLP, Nilan Johnson Lewis PA, and The Law Office of Kevin C. Riach represent plaintiffs.
For decades, federal policy required immigration agents to avoid enforcement at schools and school bus stops except in rare circumstances. But in January 2025, DHS rescinded those protections in a brief memo that eliminated pre-approval requirements, reporting safeguards, and any clear limits on enforcement near schools. The plaintiffs’ motion argues that DHS’s abandonment of those protections without explanation violates the Administrative Procedure Act and irreparably harms students and school communities. The motion asks the court to restore the prior “sensitive locations” policy while litigation proceeds.
Despite claims by the Trump-Vance administration that there has been a reduction of force, ICE activity has continued, leading to today’s filing. Sworn declarations filed with the court report that armed agents have appeared in school parking lots and near school bus stops, parents have been detained while dropping off or picking up children, agents have followed school buses and staged operations near elementary schools, schools have gone into lockdown due to nearby enforcement activity, and attendance in some districts has dropped by as much as one-third.
Fridley Schools alone has had to un-enroll at least 20 students due to prolonged absences tied to fear of immigration enforcement, likely costing the district thousands of dollars in state funding. Both Fridley and Duluth have diverted staff time, expanded remote learning, and spent significant funds to respond to enforcement activity and reassure families. DHS failed to justify its sudden policy reversal, ignored reliance interests built over three decades, and disregarded the predictable harm to children’s access to education.
“As superintendent, my responsibility is the safety, dignity, and education of every child entrusted to our schools. When immigration enforcement activity occurs near schools, it undermines trust and creates fear that directly interferes with students’ ability to learn and feel safe. Schools depend on stability, and that stability has been disrupted,” said Brenda Lewis, Superintendent of Fridley Public Schools (ISD 14).
“This wasn’t a complex legal theory — it was a simple and powerful promise that your child’s classroom should be a place of learning, not of fear. When schools are places of safety and trust, students thrive — and that’s exactly what this lawsuit aims to protect,” said John Magas, Superintendent of Schools from Duluth Public Schools (ISD 709).
Monica Byron, President of Education Minnesota, the statewide union of more than 84,000 educators, said: “We brought this lawsuit because educators cannot effectively teach and students cannot learn with armed, masked agents patrolling school grounds, following families to and from school, and questioning students about their immigration status for no other apparent reason than the color of their skin. Schools should be safe places for all students, regardless of race or national origin, and every day that DHS allows agents to operate on or near our schools is a day of fear for our members and lost learning for our students.”
“What is happening in Minnesota is not immigration enforcement, it is the deliberate injection of fear into classrooms,” said Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward. “For more than 30 years, our country recognized a simple truth: students are protected while in schools. Children deserve to learn without armed agents stationed outside their bus stops, without parents being handcuffed at the school gate, and without teachers wondering whether their students will disappear overnight. DHS tore up those protections without explanation and without regard for the devastation that would follow. This policy is unlawful, reckless, and profoundly harmful. We are asking the court to restore the rule of law and make sure that children can access education without fear.”
June Hoidal of Zimmerman Reed said, “The declarations describe ongoing disruption to Minnesota schools. When arbitrary federal action interferes with public education, courts have the authority to step in and prevent further harm. That intervention is necessary here.”
“In the midst of uncertainty, Minnesota’s educators are showing up as heroes—offering academic and emotional support, and a sense of belonging that every child deserves. But let’s be clear: they should never have to shoulder this burden,” said Kathleen Curtis with Nilan Johnson Lewis. “Immigration enforcement operations should not be happening near schools, and we are asking the Court to restore the policy that has long ensured these spaces remain safe for students.”
The case is Fridley Public School District (ISD 14) et al. v. Noem, et al., and Democracy Forward’s legal team on this matter includes Elena Goldstein, Sean Ouellette, Ally Scher, and Paul Wolfson.
Read the filing here.
A Spanish version of this press release is available here.
