Minnesota school districts ask court for emergency order to halt immigration enforcement near schools
Two Minnesota school districts and a teachers union are seeking an emergency order to stop federal agents from staging at and around public schools.
Fridley Public Schools, Duluth Public Schools and Education Minnesota filed a lawsuit in early February arguing that the Department of Homeland Security violated the Administrative Procedure Act when it stripped longstanding protections that limited immigration enforcement in "sensitive locations" such as schools.
Monday's motion asks the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota to restore the "sensitive locations" policy while litigation continues.
In response to the lawsuit, the Department of Homeland Security told WCCO that agents are not going to schools to arrest children but instead to protect them.
The suit argues that federal agents near classrooms and bus stops are devastating attendance, which could lead to the districts losing funding. Duluth schools stands to lose $10,000 annually for each unenrolled student, and Fridley schools have had to unenroll 20 students since December, the motion says.
Twice in January, Fridley had to cancel classes because so many students and staff were afraid to come to school, according to the motion.
Education Minnesota says that immigration enforcement has continued despite border czar Tom Homan's statement that Operation Metro Surge is ending, which is why they filed the motion Monday.
Reps. Angie Craig and Ilhan Omar said last week that a field office director told them that fewer than 500 federal agents remain in Minnesota, down from the 3,000 reported at the height of the surge.