# 23 states weigh new rules for ICE in schools

> After Trump rescinded protections for sensitive locations, states are scrambling to set their own policies on immigration enforcement on school grounds.
- Title: 23 states weigh new rules for ICE in schools · NPR | Shortify
- Summary: After Trump rescinded protections for sensitive locations, states are scrambling to set their own policies on immigration enforcement on school grounds.
- Keywords: ice, k-12 schools, immigration enforcement, state legislation, trump administration, sensitive locations policy, school access, student protection, minnesota, tennessee, mississippi, plyler v. doe
- Source: NPR — https://npr.org/2026/11/12/nx-s1-5718547/ice-schools-state-laws-federal-immigration
- Published: 2026-11-12T00:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 3 min
- Topics: ice, k-12 schools, immigration enforcement, state legislation, trump administration, sensitive locations policy, school access, student protection, minnesota, tennessee, mississippi, plyler v. doe
## Border town sees ICE near schools as normal
Andrea Garza leads the United Independent School District in Laredo, Texas, where ninety four percent of the community is Hispanic. She says ICE presence near schools is routine there.
## Schools lack clear policies on ICE access
Texas law prohibits local entities from obstructing federal immigration enforcement, but NPR found no state laws directly addressing how much access ICE officers should have in K-12 public schools.
## Trump ends protections for schools
At the beginning of President Trump's second term, the administration rescinded a policy that protected schools from immigration enforcement. The Department of Homeland Security said criminals would no longer hide in schools.
## ICE incidents reported on school grounds
The Department of Homeland Security says ICE does not raid or target schools. But reporting from K-12 Dive shows the last academic year saw several incidents of ICE agents on school grounds.
## Twenty three states consider new laws
An NPR analysis found that at least twenty three states have considered new legislative proposals governing federal immigration officers and K-12 public schools this year.
## Most proposals seek to limit ICE access
Of forty proposals NPR reviewed, thirty five sought to limit federal officers' access to K-12 campuses and students. Only one proposal, in Mississippi, sought to ensure schools cooperate with ICE.
## Few proposals became law
Of the forty proposals NPR reviewed, only eleven became laws by the beginning of this school year. Lawmakers struggled to find consensus over what policies should look like.
## States propose warrant requirements
Minnesota, Arizona, Delaware, Georgia, Maine and Nebraska considered restricting ICE access to schools. Several proposals specified the need for a warrant before officers could enter campuses.
## Mississippi requires school cooperation
Mississippi considered and passed a law requiring government entities, including school districts, to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.
## Tennessee debates student status tracking
Tennessee Rep.Jason Zachary said lawmakers need data on undocumented students to make informed decisions.He sponsored a measure requiring schools to report students who are undocumented.The bill did not make it to a final vote.

> As legislators, we cannot make informed decisions without data, and right now we simply do not know what the attendance is in our school systems across the state, regarding children who are here illegally.
## Tennessee proposes sanctuary protections
Tennessee Rep. Gabby Salinas sponsored a bill prohibiting schools from being used as staging areas or processing locations for immigration enforcement. She said students need a safe learning environment. The proposal ultimately failed.

> Everybody deserves to have a great learning environment, and it's hard to teach when you are worried that one of your students is going to be taken.
## Minnesota principals left without state guidance
After an immigration crackdown in Minneapolis earlier this year, Minnesota lawmakers considered at least five different proposals around ICE and schools. None made it to a final vote.
## School leaders rely on district policies
Principal Kenny Newby of Justice Alan Page Elementary School in Maplewood, Minnesota, follows his district's policies: staff welcome ICE officers, ask for paperwork and notify administrators. Direct student contact is not allowed.
## Inconsistent protocols create confusion
Rob Reetz, principal of Mounds View High School in Arden Hills, Minnesota, said a state law would simplify interactions between districts.
## Principals fear ICE will not follow rules
Reetz recalled that armed U.S. Border Patrol officers came onto Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis during dismissal, tackled people, handcuffed staff and released chemical weapons. He worries ICE will not follow state or district rules.
## Key takeaway

At least 23 states considered laws this year governing ICE access to K-12 schools after the Trump administration ended federal protections for sensitive locations, but only 11 became law.