On Friday, a federal judge ruled that immigration authorities are not required to reinstate a Biden-era policy limiting arrests at schools, following a legal challenge from Denver officials against new Trump administration policies, as reported by the Associated Press.
US District Judge Daniel Domenico stated that Denver Public Schools failed to demonstrate that a decline in attendance was directly caused by the Trump administration’s policy changes. He added that it was unclear whether the fear surrounding possible enforcement actions in schools stemmed from the new rules or broader concerns over increased immigration enforcement, the Associated Press reported.
In addition to attendance concerns, Denver Public Schools claimed it had to redirect resources to address fears among students and families due to the removal of long-standing restrictions on immigration enforcement near schools, churches, and other sensitive locations.
“This includes providing mental health support to students, diverting administrators’ attention from academics to immigration issues, and assisting students who miss school to catch up,” lawyers for the school district stated in their request to block the new rules, as reported by the Associated Press.
The ruling came just days after Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and Democratic leaders from several cities traveled to Washington to face questions from Republican lawmakers regarding their sanctuary city policies, which some view as undermining President Donald Trump’s immigration and mass deportation efforts. However, the lawsuit was filed by the school district, not the city, the Associated Press noted.
Under a 2021 policy, immigration officers were required to obtain approval before conducting enforcement actions at designated “sensitive locations,” except in cases involving national security. However, in January, the acting head of the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, removed this requirement. The revised policy directs field agents to rely on “common sense” and “discretion” when carrying out immigration enforcement operations.
Domenico noted that the head of ICE later clarified that immigration arrests at sensitive locations, such as schools, still require supervisor approval. He also argued that concerns over the new rules and assumptions that the previous policy fully protected schools were “overstated,” as reported by the Associated Press.
A Trump appointee and former Colorado solicitor general, Domenico rejected a request for a nationwide preliminary injunction to reinstate the 2021 guidance.
Denver Public Schools expressed disappointment with the ruling but viewed the lawsuit as a success in shedding light on the Trump administration’s policies.
Immigration arrests at schools have been rare. According to ICE data cited by Denver school lawyers, only two immigration arrests occurred in schools and 18 near schools between 2018 and 2020, the Associated Press reported.
(With inputs from Associated Press)
