With the new directive that schools and churches can be targeted for ICE investigations, there is uncertainty regarding how state-level protections will shield students and families. This week, OSPI released a bulletin with do’s & don’ts for public schools, but laws related to private schools may differ.

WFIS is starting to hear concerns from our schools. We suggest schools write policies about how they will respond to ICE’s presence on campus so that parents know how their students will be protected. An ICE raid on a school will impact the sense of well-being across the entire school community. Principals must know what to do if ICE shows up on campus. Here are some rough guidelines distributed through the State CAPE network that may be helpful:

What should I do to prepare for potential ICE enforcement on school grounds?

Develop a protocol or policy for dealing with ICE enforcement and ensure all staff know what to do under these circumstances. This can look like the following:

  1. Welcome the agent(s).
  2. Ask them to provide identification.
  3. Make a copy of their ID.
  4. Inform Your Executive Director/Head of School
  5. Contact your attorney.
  6. Ask the agent(s) if they have any paperwork (i.e., subpoena, warrant, etc.). Ask to make copies of the paperwork for your attorney to review.
  7. Ask the agent(s) to sit in the office or private area, such as a conference room, while the Principal/Admin arrives.
  8. Keep notes of the date/time, the names and titles of the agents, who you contacted at the school, the name of the student or staff member they are inquiring about (if known), etc.

It is best to have one point of contact for your school, such as your Executive Director or Head of School, who is well-versed in the legal requirements of the different types of warrants. A visual checklist of the difference between an administrative warrant and a judicial warrant may also help.

This is not legal advice, and WFIS advises that you seek legal counsel when writing your school policies and announcements. We will continue to share how independent schools nationwide prepare their schools and communicate with families.