Migrant kids reportedly pulled from Massachusetts schools over deportation fears
Thousands of parents in Massachusetts are allegedly keeping their kids home from school out of fear of ICE raids and deportation since President Donald Trump's inauguration.
The Boston Globe reported on Tuesday that these migrant parents have become fearful after seeing ICE raids throughout the state.
"Amid the Trump administration's promises of mass deportations, some schools in Massachusetts and nationwide in recent weeks saw an uptick in absences among migrant students," the article read.
One mother in Lynn, Massachusetts, named Esperanza said she has kept her daughter home at least once during the past month as a result.
"There's a fear there, as if someone were chasing us," Esperanza told the paper.
Her 9-year-old daughter felt the same way.
"I think that they're going to deport us," the girl told The Globe in Spanish. "It scares me."
The article reported that school administrators have claimed that thousands of kids across multiple school districts have stayed home over rumors of ICE agents in the area, though no school raids have been reported.
Framingham Superintendent Robert Tremblay claimed that a quarter of students in his district stayed home one day over ICE rumors.
"It's really important for families to understand that the safest place for their child is in school," Tremblay said.
One legal immigrant, a mother named Monsy, added that "no one feels safe," and said her own kids stayed home from school one day out of fear of deportation.
"I see the sadness, the fear, in the children. Sometimes they're crying," Monsy said.
After claiming that district data showed that "[a]bsences appeared to spike in late January and early February," the report added that higher absence rates could also be attributed to "weather, illness, and other typical causes of seasonal fluctuation," with attendance having "largely returned to normal in some districts."
Data presented within the report showed only a three to five percent decrease in school attendance in Lowell, Worchester and Lawrence, districts with high migrant populations, since November.
The Globe reported that absences in the city of Chelsea ticked up more than normal the day after the inauguration and when ICE was spotted at a local grocery, but absences were even higher for a "Day Without Immigrants" protest and a day there was snow.
Chelsea Public Schools Communications Director Michael Sullivan confirmed the numbers listed in the article, telling Fox News Digital that their schools "have actually seen our attendance rates remain at our average for the most part."
In a comment to Fox News Digital, Tremblay provided resources that his schools have given to parents worried about ICE raids but also admitted it's unclear if absences can be attributed to deportation fears or sickness.
"With absences at this time of year due to sickness, it is difficult to discern what absences may be related to sickness vs. fear of deportation or other reasons," Tremblay said.
Salem Public Schools Communications Director Chris O'Donnel also added they do not have exact figures on absenteeism caused by fears of deportation.
Fox News Digital reached out to various other Massachusetts school districts and superintendents referenced in the article.
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