‘Will not allow entry’: Minnesota schools respond to Trump’s deportation plans

One member of the Minneapolis School Board urged her supporters to "stay united against the White Supremacist new administration."

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President Trump's incoming border czar Tom Homan speaks at a January 2023 press conference in Arizona. (Photo by Gage Skidmore/CC BY-SA 2.0)

Several Minnesota schools have issued emails outlining how they will handle interactions with law enforcement, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in the wake of President Donald Trump’s sweeping deportation plans.

“Augsburg will NOT allow entry to limited access or nonpublic areas to law enforcement officers for an administrative warrant,” an internal memo from Augsburg University reads. It explains that those “limited access or nonpublic areas” include faculty offices, classrooms, and laboratories.

The letter goes on to say that the university needs to comply with law enforcement when it is presented with a criminal warrant. “Faculty and staff should contact University administration when presented with a warrant. Administration will determine whether or not the University must comply with the warrant,” the memo says.

The university also instructs faculty and staff to “stay calm” and tell any law enforcement officers who attempt to enter a classroom, “I can’t give you permission to enter. I am obligated to contact University administration.”

The email appears to acknowledge that actions denying law enforcement access could be seen as obstruction. “Inform the law enforcement officer that you are NOT obstructing their process but that you are obligated under University policy to contact University administration,” the email states.

The email then tells staff to not provide any information to law enforcement officers or answer any questions. The university also gives professors permission to take a break in class while waiting for administration to respond.

“If, during the break, law enforcement asks a student for information about another student, the student should be instructed to reply, ‘Please talk with the University administration,'” the email reads.

“If law enforcement does visit, students will likely be negatively impacted. Faculty or staff should feel free to cancel the rest of that class or the event, if needed,” it concludes.

Augsburg University is within Hennepin County, a “sanctuary county” for illegal immigrants.

Anoka, Dakota and Ramsey counties in Minnesota are also currently considered sanctuary counties for illegal immigrants by ICE.

K-12 schools respond

Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) sent a more ambiguous email to families, warning them to be “prepared for any unexpected situations.”

The email suggests to immigrant families that they contact the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota and outlines how they can designate parental authority for their children.

“Follow local news and updates from trusted sources to stay informed about any changes or important information that may affect your family,” the email reads.

Additionally, a director on the Minneapolis School Board, also within Hennepin County, posted a profanity-laced rant against President Trump and his actions to deport illegal immigrants.

“We must stay united against the White Supremacist new administration,” Adriana Cerrillo, a school board member representing District 4, said in a Facebook post obtained by Alpha News. “REMEMBER DON’T drive drunk, let alone get into any legal trouble … We NEVER open the door without asking who it is.”

The Minneapolis School Board voted to reaffirm a 2016 resolution about immigrant students and their families last week. It says that the district will not collect information on the immigration status of its students or families or share information with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

In an email reportedly sent to staff, St. Cloud Area School District Superintendent Laurie Putnam said that she has instructed all district leaders to direct “any immigration and customs enforcement agents that may appear at our schools to my office for full review of the purpose and authority of their visit, consistent with school board policy.”

Putnam said that unless “compelled by a valid court order or law,” the district will not be providing any information to law enforcement officers about students or “allow immigration officials to have access to students.”

“We want our students, families, and staff to know that we care deeply about your wellbeing and will act within our legal authority to ensure that our schools are safe and welcoming places during this difficult time,” she wrote.

Edina Public Schools Superintendent Stacie Stanley sent an email about supporting students and staff during “immigration-related situations that may arise.” Stanley directed staff to an FAQ document regarding to how handle ICE agents, and told staff to utilize confidential emotional support as the situations can be “emotionally challenging.”

“First and foremost, we want to emphasize that our schools remain committed to providing a safe, welcoming environment where every student learns in a caring and inclusive school culture, regardless of their immigration status,” she said.

Additionally, Robbinsdale Superintendent Teri Staloch told families that recent ICE activity and “growing attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programming” have created “uncertainty and anxiety for many individuals and families in our community.”

“These issues impact our immigrant families, Indigenous peoples, communities of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and others. As a district, we stand united in our support for every member of our diverse community, and we remain a place of safety, belonging, and opportunity for all,” she wrote.

Tom Homan, President Trump’s new border czar, has threatened to arrest individuals who obstruct deportation efforts of illegal immigrants.

Thousands of illegal immigrants have been arrested across the nation as part of Trump’s promised crackdown on illegal immigration. He is also sending 1,500 troops to help secure the nation’s southern border.

 

Hayley Feland

Hayley Feland previously worked as a journalist with The Minnesota Sun, The Wisconsin Daily Star, and The College Fix. She is a Minnesota native with a passion for politics and journalism.