27-01-2025
San Antonio schools mum on immigration plans
School leaders in many parts of the U.S. are reassuring parents their children are safe from immigration officers on campus, but San Antonio area districts have largely stayed quiet.
Why it matters: Immigration enforcement in schools could be widely disruptive. Even the threat of arrests on campus could result in some students staying home, which could impact school funding.
About 7% of people who are undocumented in Bexar County live with a child under 18 who is not a citizen, per the Migration Policy Institute.
Catch up quick: The Trump administration last week announced it was ending the policy of avoiding arrests in schools and other "sensitive" areas.
State of play: Northside ISD, the city's largest district, does not plan to issue any communications or FAQs about immigration, district spokesperson Barry Perez tells Axios.
"We are not going to respond to speculation about possible action by the new administration," Perez says. "Northside ISD will comply with all federal, state and local laws."
San Antonio ISD issued a letter to families and staff last week that reminded them of available resources but stopped short of offering plans in the event that immigration agents show up at schools.
"Regardless of background, identity or circumstance, every student has a right to an education free from fear or discrimination," the letter from SAISD's leadership reads.
In 2017, SAISD published an FAQ detailing that public schools enroll students regardless of their immigration status, adding that they don't collect or share that information.
The district on Friday said it had updated the FAQ and that it will not coordinate raids with immigration officials.
Other area districts did not respond to Axios' request for information.
What we're watching: Last week, more than two dozen Democratic state lawmakers asked the Texas Education Agency to issue guidance for districts on how to prepare for immigration enforcement actions.
