Texas substitute teacher under investigation after allegedly asking ICE to deport students
Fort Worth ISD is investigating a substitute teacher who allegedly encouraged U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to deport students from North Side High School.
The substitute teacher, who Fort Worth ISD did not identify, allegedly responded to a Jan. 23 enforcement update by ICE on X, reporting 538 arrests and an additional 373 in custody.
The account, @HookEm232, has since gone private; however, screenshots of the posts continue to circulate around the platform as users criticize the rhetoric.
"Yall [sic] should come to Fort Worth, TX to North Side High School. I have many students who don't even speak English and they are in 10th-11th grade. They have to communicate through their iPhone translator with me," screenshots of the post read. "The @usedgov should totally overhaul our school system in Texas too."
Read more: Austin churches, schools react to Trump administration cutting immigration raid protections
The school district addressed the issue on Facebook.
"We take this matter very seriously and are conducting a thorough investigation to understand the circumstances and ensure appropriate actions are taken. As per district protocol, the employee will not be on campus during the investigation."
"We are committed to maintaining a positive and supportive environment for all students," the post continued. "We appreciate your patience and understanding as we address this matter."
School board president Roxanne Martinez also released a statement assuring that district officials are "taking this issue very seriously and are committed to resolving it as quickly as possible."
Last week, the Homeland Security Department issued a directive rescinding previous restrictions for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection to operate in "sensitive" areas like churches, schools and hospitals. Previous department guidelines limited enforcement actions at these locations, performing them only with supervisory approval or "exigent circumstances."
The new executive order comes at a time when popular sympathy for migrants has wavered, and when the political party traditionally allied with immigrants has shown a willingness to approach immigration policy from a new consensus. A quarter of Senate Democrats and 46 House Democrats joined Republicans to vote in favor of the Laken Riley Act, which, among other things, will mandate detention for undocumented immigrants charged with crimes such as shoplifting, burglary, larceny or theft, making them more likely targets of deportation.
— American-Statesman reporters Emiliano Tahui Gómez and Keri Heath contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas substitute teacher under fire for asking ICE to deport students
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