Minneapolis school board member Adriana Cerrillo has never been shy about making immigration part of her public political identity.
She has spoken openly about crossing the border from Mexico into Texas and has described herself as “undocumented.”
Cerrillo has also said she doesn’t “believe in borders” and is “not comfortable in neighborhoods that are predominantly White.” Last year, she publicly accused the Trump administration of being “white supremacist.”
In other words, Cerrillo has put plenty on the public record.
In October 2025, Alpha News reported on Cerrillo’s controversial remarks about immigration and race and raised questions about her eligibility to hold elected office after she reportedly posted on social media that she was “at risk of being deported.”
Minnesota requires candidates for school board to be U.S. citizens. So, Alpha News asked Cerrillo to clarify her citizenship status and explain why she reportedly believed she could be deported.
She did not respond.
Cerrillo stopped showing up to school board meetings
Following the October 2025 Alpha News article, Cerrillo stopped showing up to Minneapolis Public Schools board meetings — an absence that stretched eight months, according to meeting minutes.
From November 2025 through June 2026, the elected District 4 representative — who receives a $20,000 annual salary — was missing from the board table while her colleagues continued conducting business and casting votes without her.
When Cerrillo finally resurfaced at a July 28 board meeting, she offered an explanation for what had kept her away — one that included alleged threats, family troubles, and media scrutiny that followed her own public statements.
“I publicly criticized the federal government white supremacist practices on social media,” Cerrillo told fellow board members.
She said she began receiving threats through phone calls, emails and messages on her personal social media accounts.
“And even some articles that were written about my citizenship, and also whether I was fit to serve on this board, because I was an illegal, undocumented immigrant,” she said.
Cerrillo did not identify Alpha News by name. However, Alpha News could not identify another Minnesota news organization that had scrutinized Cerrillo’s record in the manner she described.
She offered another explanation for her absence as well.
“My sister and brother-in-law that lived in Texas were deported, and this caused a lot of instability in the family,” Cerrillo said. “This experience has been very traumatic and exhausting for all of us as a family.”
Cerrillo thanked fellow board members, the superintendent and constituents for supporting her “through a very difficult time in my life.”
“We’re glad that you’re back. We are glad you’re safe,” Board Chair Collin Beachy said.
But Cerrillo’s return to the board table was apparently short-lived.
She was absent again when the board met Aug. 14 and Sept. 8.
MPS handbook: ‘Attend school board meetings’
Minneapolis Public Schools’ own school board handbook spells out the duties of an elected board member.
The first one is hard to miss: “Attend school board meetings.”
The handbook also says board members should make decisions “by voting in school board meetings” and “strive to uphold my responsibilities and accountability to the taxpayers in my school district.”
Alpha News asked Minneapolis Public Schools for Cerrillo’s attendance record, the number of votes she missed, whether her absences were excused and how much compensation she received during that period.
The district directed Alpha News to its public records for meeting attendance and votes.
However, the district declined to address questions surrounding Cerrillo’s extended absence.
“Due to data privacy laws and district practice, MPS does not comment on the personal circumstances of staff or elected officials,” the district said.
Alpha News also reached out directly to Cerrillo, asking whether she continued performing her duties and receiving her full $20,000 annual compensation while absent, and whether she formally notified board leadership that she would be stepping away.
She was also asked whether she reported the threats to law enforcement and whether she sought remote-participation accommodations that would have allowed her to continue attending meetings and voting.
Finally, Alpha News gave Cerrillo another opportunity to clarify her current citizenship status and explain why she reportedly believed she was at risk of deportation.
She did not respond.
Jenna Gloeb
Jenna Gloeb is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist, media producer, public speaker, and screenwriter. Most recently, she worked as a reporter and on-air host for CCX Media. Jenna is a Minnesota native and resides in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, daughter, and two dogs.
