Our schools should be safe havens—not hunting grounds for federal immigration agents.

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita is suing Indianapolis Public Schools for refusing to hand over a student to ICE agents who arrived with no warrant, no judicial order, and no identification. Their only claim was that the student's father had agreed to a voluntary deportation. The school did what any responsible institution would do: they asked for legal documentation and ensured the student had access to legal counsel. Now they’re being punished for it.

Let’s be clear—schools are legally and morally obligated to protect every student in their care. Under Plyler v. Doe, undocumented children are guaranteed the right to a public education. Under federal privacy law (FERPA), schools cannot legally share student information with ICE without parental consent or a court order. And under basic active shooter protocols, educators are taught never to open school doors to unidentified armed intruders. Yet Rokita demands schools do just that.

Worse, this policy isn’t about safety—it’s about political posturing. There’s no evidence that allowing ICE into schools has prevented violence. In fact, it has increased chronic absenteeism nationwide and made students afraid to attend school. In some cases, even U.S. citizen children have lost their parents at school gates.

Turning schools into extensions of immigration enforcement threatens the trust between students, families, and educators. That trust is the foundation of learning—and once it’s broken, it’s almost impossible to rebuild.

We call on Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita to drop his lawsuit against IPS and stop pressuring schools to cooperate with ICE without legal orders. We urge Governor Mike Braun to revoke his executive order requiring unconditional cooperation with ICE. And we demand that Indiana schools remain safe, legal, and welcoming places for every child—no matter their background.

Let teachers teach. Let students learn. Keep ICE out of our classrooms.