HOUSTON, Texas – As immigration enforcement intensifies across southeast Texas, school officials are addressing concerns by clarifying how they handle federal agency requests while prioritizing student safety.
KPRC 2 Digital Content Specialist Ninfa Saavedra has been embedded inside Houston Independent School District’s (HISD) Fleming Middle School for the past two years, chronicling the changes in the district under state-appointed superintendent Mike Miles’s New Education System.
During a visit to Fleming Middle School, Principal Devin Adams discussed the district’s policies and whether he has noticed any changes since President Donald Trump’s executive order.
A pressing question from many HISD parents was whether federal agents could access their children if they visited the campus.
“One thing that we’re most concerned about is making sure that every child is safe, that they’re in a safe environment to learn,” Adams said. “What we do is we tell our parents, it’s kind of standard protocol, to make sure that all of your numbers are updated, because we also make sure we can get in contact with you for whatever reason to make sure you know what’s going on with your child. If numbers change, just keep things updated. Make sure that emergency contacts are updated. And as it relates to anybody coming in to talk to children or potentially being removed from the campus, the district has policies and guidelines that really support the campus in ensuring that parents are aware and that we are also within the bounds of the law.”
Fleming Middle School, like every other HISD campus, must adhere to the district’s policies, which Miles has stated, “policies related to law enforcement activity on campuses have not changed.”
“We want to make sure that anyone who is coming has a warrant or some type of documentation so that they have a reason to speak to the child. But I want to make sure that we’re speaking with our department, our legal department to ensure that we have the backing and support of the district as it relates to that. We are communicating with the parent, as well, or the guardian or the emergency contact, in some cases, so that everyone is kind of aware that there’s a situation and that something going on with the child. We want to be sure everybody knows what’s going on,” Adams said.
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) president also provided parents with some reassurance during a news conference, telling parents that regardless of their child’s immigration status, they would be protected by law.
“We have a law called the FERPA law that protects a minor from any school district giving information to authorities or some folks from the outside. If ICE comes to a school, the principal must call the administration and check with the central office in the legal department and make sure they have a legal document before they can release any child. A child is protected under federal law,” LULAC president Sergio Lira said.
He also added that parents needing additional resources should reach out to their campus counselors.
“You have a school administrator whose job is to take care of the whole child, not just the academics, to provide welfare resources to them. And as you know, HISD has wraparound specialists, over 150, who were there to provide resources to families that were struggling and weren’t able to, if they had language barriers or transportation problems. But the current administration got rid of those wraparound specialists. So now, the parents have the only folks that they can rely on is their actual teachers, counselors, a school administrators to ask for the resources they need. And the district should be providing them in both languages English, Spanish, Vietnamese and Mandarin,” Lira said.
At Fleming, Adams assured that they have a counselor available during campus hours to all students.
“We also have a crisis team and a social-emotional department within the district who is ready to be dispatched if there’s ever anything going on on the campus or any additional needs,” Adams explained.
Although Fleming Middle School has not received a visit from ICE agents since Trump’s executive order, Adams mentioned that his front desk administrators have received phone calls from concerned parents.
In Plyler v. Doe, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a Texas law in 1982 that prohibited the use of state funds for the education of undocumented children. It also prohibited schools from charging tuition to these students. With this action, the court established a new legal right to free education for undocumented students in public schools and effectively prohibited schools from collecting information that could reveal a student’s immigration status.
HISD released the following statement regarding its policies amid Trump’s executive order:
Many of our staff are receiving questions about how HISD manages state and federal law enforcement agencies on our campuses. We want to assure you that our policies have not changed, and they align with Houston ISD’s mission to provide a safe and nurturing learning environment for all students.
As always, HISD educates all students registered to attend our campuses, and nothing about the registration process for students has changed.
All student information is protected by federal law, specifically, the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). This law prohibits the dissemination of student information and or records, without a lawful subpoena/warrant or permission from the student’s parents except in specific circumstances. HISD cannot and will not release any student records or information unless the FERPA requirements are met.
We have also not changed any of our policies related to law enforcement activity on our campuses. School administrators and front office staff are trained in engagement with law enforcement to ensure that student rights and information are protected, and any law enforcement action is managed by HISD Legal Services. Law enforcement is only granted access to students or student information when HISD Legal Services has verified that all required steps have been taken, and the law enforcement action does not violate any of the federal privacy protection afforded students and their records. We will update you if there are any required changes because of modifications to federal or state law.
As always, HISD is committed to educating every child who walks through our doors. We appreciate your continued support and partnership.