In January of this year, the Department of Homeland Security announced that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers are allowed to conduct investigations, searches, and arrests in “sensitive locations” such as churches and schools. At a regional assembly of student leaders on October 22, MCPS Chief of Schools Peter Moran made a statement against ICE enforcement on MCPS property.

“Any ICE agent must have a valid warrant to conduct any business or investigation on MCPS property,” Moran said to the audience. He explained to students that ICE agents will be refused entry if they do not have a warrant, and there is a procedure to follow in the event that they arrive with a warrant in hand.

According to reports, there was an incident involving ICE agents near Eastern Middle School in Silver Spring. Armed men suspected to be federal agents were seen chasing and detaining two people outside of school property but in clear view of the classrooms. “It interrupts the learning environment for every student,” said Moran.

More than half of Eastern Middle School’s population is of Hispanic descent, the main demographic targeted by ICE agents. CASA, an organization created to support immigrants in the United States, has claimed that attendance rates at Eastern Middle School have gone down noticeably in the wake of the event.

In response to concerns about student safety in the county, MCPS has trained staff to deal with any confrontations with ICE. “All [MCPS] principals have been trained on what to do if they were to encounter an ICE agent,” Moran stated. According to MCPS Chief of Security Marcus Jones, it’s not just principals who are being trained. Jones told students at the assembly that MCPS has educated security officers on how to deal with ICE officers if an incident were to occur.

MCPS has created a uniform procedure for ICE encounters that they outline on the county website. If an ICE officer does attempt to gain entry to MCPS property, staff are instructed to verify the officer’s identity and request proof of a warrant or official documentation allowing them entry into the building. If the officers fail to identify themselves, staff are instructed to deny them entry. The procedure then dictates that they contact the county’s legal counsel for further guidance on how to handle the situation.

According to health teacher Heather Winans, who also is Sherwood’s Extracurricular Activity Director, MCPS is prohibited from giving student information to law enforcement unless they have a subpoena, which is a court order to provide information. “If they have a subpoena, there is a Rights Card that MCPS has distributed,” Winans said.

The card offers advice to students in these situations as well as when ICE agents attempt to gain entry to a suspect’s home on one side. One side of the card includes an official statement that can be shown to an officer to reaffirm their right to silence and protection from unreasonable searches and seizures. On the other side is general information about the rights afforded to all Americans. MCPS also provides additional resources on its website to help students and parents if they are suspects in an ICE investigation.