Teaching Through Fear: Educators on ICE Enforcement and Its Impact on Immigrant Students

Across the United States, immigrant students have a constitutional right to a free public education regardless of immigration status, a protection established in Plyler v. Doe (1982). Yet, in today’s political climate, that right exists alongside a growing sense of fear. Recent reports indicate that increased U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity, particularly since early 2025, has caused widespread fear among immigrant families, leading to a surge in chronic absenteeism, significant declines in school enrollment, and profound psychological trauma for students.

One of the hardest parts is that no one is really asking educators how we’re doing. There’s a disconnect—people don’t fully understand the reality we’re facing. We’re constantly looking for small moments of success just to stay grounded. – Nazila

Educators for Excellence (E4E) has been actively advocating for urgent federal action to protect immigrant students, recognizing that their safety and ability to learn are at immediate risk. As Congress negotiates the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) bill, E4E is calling on lawmakers to restore critical protections by once again designating schools as sensitive locations—spaces where immigration enforcement actions are prohibited. Without this action, schools across the country will remain exposed, putting students and their families in harm’s way. At the same time, E4E is equipping educators with practical resources and guidance on how to support and protect students in their classrooms—because advocacy must be matched with action on the ground. Our students cannot wait.

There’s an emotional toll. You’re not just teaching content—you’re supporting students through fear, uncertainty, and sometimes loss. That weighs on you. – Jennifer

To better understand what this moment looks like in classrooms across the country, E4E spoke with four of our teachers, Misti Kemmer of California, Janiru Herath of Minnesota, Jennifer López of California, and Nazila Ramjan of New York. Their experiences offer a window into how immigration enforcement is affecting students, schools, and educators across the country.

What does ICE enforcement look like from a teacher’s perspective across different parts of the country?

As a teacher, you’re living with this constant dichotomy—hearing these intense, emotional stories, and then having to walk back into the classroom and teach like everything is normal. -Janiru

Janiru:
We’ve seen very real impacts. Two of the very students I teach were highlighted by national news outlets (The New York Times and LA Times). One of my students, Xochitl (a 16-year-old 11th grader), had to become the primary caretaker for herself and her younger siblings after they lost their mother to cancer the year prior. Her dad was detained on his way to work and held in detention for several weeks. She navigated learning from home, caring for her younger siblings, and trying to keep her fractured family together.

Alondra, another of my students, was surrounded by several ICE vehicles in a parking lot as she was picking up medication for a family member. She had her window smashed and was violently removed from the car along with her friend. She was held in detention, and her car was taken from her for several weeks without charge. She is s a US citizen and was also 16 years old at the time.

I cannot put into words how surreal, infuriating, and utterly devastating it is to watch your students — all minors — become national faces and to have their indescribable traumas become so public. How absolutely infuriating to see people laugh at their plight or try to dispute direct eyewitness accounts and testimonies.

My students are infinitely strong and continue to be a source of inspiration for all of us. However, what kind of society do we live in where we normalize and commodify the evil, unnecessary suffering of 16-year-olds?

I weep thinking about the immense burdens they carry, the traumas that will mark their lives, and the way these traumas will manifest themselves.

How is this affecting regular attendance?

The gaps are getting wider. This is an equity issue. Schools in predominantly white, suburban areas aren’t experiencing this in the same way, and the long-term ramifications will show up a year or more down the line. -Janiru

Nazila:
Janiru’s story isn’t isolated—it’s happening in many places. The question becomes: what are schools actually doing to support these students? We’re also seeing students self-deporting, which directly impacts attendance. In our school, attendance has dipped every day—around 150 students are absent, according to internal reports.

Janiru:
The gaps are getting wider. This is an equity issue. Schools in predominantly white, suburban areas aren’t experiencing this in the same way, and the long-term ramifications will show up a year or more down the line.

Jennifer:
We’ve definitely seen a decrease in attendance recently, especially when there are reports of ICE activity in the surrounding community. Families are scared, and that translates directly into students not showing up.

How is this affecting teachers working closely with immigrant students?

Nazila:
One of the hardest parts is that no one is really asking educators how we’re doing. There’s a disconnect—people don’t fully understand the reality we’re facing. We’re constantly looking for small moments of success just to stay grounded.

Janiru:
As educators, we’re very good at compartmentalizing trauma. We push through because we have to. But morale is low. What’s happening in society absolutely affects how we feel in the classroom.

Jennifer:
There’s an emotional toll. You’re not just teaching content—you’re supporting students through fear, uncertainty, and sometimes loss. That weighs on you.

What impact do you see on students?

Misti:
I work in an elementary school, and I’m already seeing increased racism—even among younger students. Kids are saying things like they will call “La Migra”—a Spanish slang term of ICE—on each other during conflicts, or making comments about getting someone’s parents taken away. That kind of language shows how deeply this environment is affecting them.

Jennifer:
Students don’t feel safe. There’s a sense of paranoia. For students who have already lost parents due to deportation, the long-term mental health impacts are significant—growing up without that stability is something that stays with them.

What support systems or community responses are emerging?

Misti:
In Los Angeles, our district has implemented the “We Are One” initiative. It includes legal resources, a 24-hour hotline, and preparedness tools for families. It’s a comprehensive attempt to support immigrant communities during this time.

Jennifer:
At our school, union leaders are working closely with community members and neighboring schools. People are actively watching for ICE presence before and after school to help protect students and families. It’s grassroots, but it’s powerful.

Bottom Line:
These stories from our teachers are deeply profound. Despite the fear and uncertainty shaping this moment, educators and communities across the country are also demonstrating what resilience, care, and solidarity can look like in action. From mutual aid networks to school-based support systems, there is growing recognition that protecting immigrant students means more than ensuring access—it means actively creating spaces where they feel safe, seen, and valued. 

History has shown that schools can serve as critical spaces of belonging and transformation, even in the most challenging times. But this moment demands more than optimism—it demands action. The experiences of immigrant students are not abstract; they are real, urgent, and unfolding now, with profound consequences for their lives and futures. Communities are in need, and the responsibility to respond cannot be delayed. Through sustained advocacy, deeper community partnership, and an unwavering commitment to equity, we must ensure that these students are not left to navigate these challenges alone. Their strength, stories, and brilliance are not just assets—they are essential. The question is not whether they can thrive, but whether we will do what is necessary to make that possible.

Authors: E4E Policy Fellow Dr. Shanita Rapatalo and E4E Teacher Leaders Misti Kemmer, Janiru Herath, Jennifer López, and Nazila Ramjan