Latest news with #Chalkbeat
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fears Grow Over ICE's Reach Into Schools
School (in)Security is our biweekly briefing on the latest school safety news, vetted by Mark Keierleber. Subscribe here. Two developments this week have upped the anxiety over how far President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown will go to ensnare students and young children. In New York City, a Bronx high school student from Venezuela showed up for a routine immigration court date and was promptly arrested afterward by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Chalkbeat's Michael Elsen-Rooney, who broke the story Monday, reports that the arrest has sent shock waves through the 20-year-old's small, close-knit high school, which caters to older newcomers learning English. Meanwhile, ICE agents have been showing up unannounced at schools, homes and migrant shelters from New York to Hawaii to interview children, some as young as 6, who arrived in the U.S. alone, The New York Times reported yesterday. The Office of Refugee Resettlement, which is responsible for the children's care and has historically been kept separate from immigration activities, is now assisting in them, according to ProPublica. The Trump administration is calling these surprise visits 'welfare checks,' but educators, advocates and others see them as a means of accelerating deportations. Propelling Trump's deportation agenda has been a priority for Florida officials, from Gov. Ron DeSantis all the way down to the St. Petersburg school district police chief. An investigation I published last week revealed that the chief instructed officers to assist in the crackdown. The revelation, included in a batch of public records I obtained from Pinellas County Schools, came after district officials claimed that an application to deputize campus cops with Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrest authority was a mistake. The records show efforts to cooperate with ICE run deeper than school officials have previously acknowledged — and that the district's top leaders were aware of it. Immigrant rights groups and privacy advocates have for years warned that school-based police officers could share information about undocumented students and their families with federal immigration officials, especially as Trump bolsters a program that grants ICE powers to local cops. More than 550 law enforcement agencies nationwide have what are known as 287(g) agreements with ICE, including at least one in every Florida county. Civil rights attorneys say the directives given to Pinellas school police — which include orders to detain and question anyone with federal deportation orders — could violate constitutional protections against unreasonable detention and children's legal right to a free public education regardless of their immigration status. Read my latest investigation here. School cybersecurity experts told me they were surprised by how quickly federal authorities arrested 19-year-old hacker and Massachusetts college student Matthew Lane. Lane pleaded guilty last week to carrying out a massive cyberattack on the deep-pocketed ed tech company PowerSchool, which gave into his ransom demand. They also criticized the company for its slower-than-previously-known response and public notice about the breach, which exposed the sensitive records of millions of students and educators. The Department of Justice alleges Lane and co-conspirators demanded a $2.85 million ransom in Bitcoin. He pleaded guilty to cyber extortion, unauthorized access to protected computers and aggravated identity theft. | BleepingComputer More than 100 school districts have filed lawsuits against PowerSchool alleging negligence and breach of contract. | K-12 Dive In just the last month, districts nationwide were the targets of extortion demands despite PowerSchool's decision to pay the ransom to prevent files from being shared publicly. | The 74 A prize nobody wanted: The education sector has come in first place … for being the slowest to report data breaches after ransomware attacks — averaging nearly five months. | Comparitech Kept in the dark: Meet the hired guns who make sure school cyberattacks stay hidden. | The 74 'Take it down': Trump has signed a new federal law that requires tech platforms remove non-consensual, sexually explicit deepfakes as teen girls nationwide are the victims of disturbing AI-generated images. | CNN Red Cloud Indian School, which operates on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, has filed a lawsuit seeking to halt the Trump administration's cuts to AmeriCorps. The suit charges the cuts would put job training programs and teaching assistants at 'serious risk' in one of the country's most impoverished regions. | South Dakota Searchlight Some seven years after the mass school shooting in Parkland, Florida, the Broward County school district plans to cut about 100 security positions as part of an effort to slash its budget by $65 million. | South Florida SunSentinel On the list of alleged violations of students' civil rights that may never be investigated after Trump gutted the Education Department: The case of a substitute teacher who was arrested on battery charges after she was captured on video dragging a 6-year-old boy with autism down the hallway of his Illinois school. | ProPublica Picking up the slack: The National Center for Youth Law has launched an initiative to help the families of students whose civil rights complaints to the department are no longer being investigated. The nonprofit's 'fellowship program' will connect fired Office for Civil Rights attorneys with families to provide pro bono legal services. | The 74 A Minnesota school resource officer was accused of helping to cover up allegations that a former middle school teacher was sending sexually explicit images to a dozen male students over Snapchat. | WCCO'Nazi swastikas and things like that': A 33-year-old Texas mother was arrested on terrorism-related charges after police say she bought guns and tactical gear for her 13-year-old son as he allegedly planned a shooting at his middle school. Officials said they found 'some very disturbing' stuff in the mother's home. | Associated Press Get the most critical news and information about students' rights, safety and well-being delivered straight to your inbox. Trump Official's Autism Schools Secluded and Restrained Students at High Rates Head Start Teacher and Civil Rights Lawyer Turns Her Social Justice Lens to Math Heat, Floods, Storms Limit Outdoor Play for Young Children, Surveys Show Met a new friend, Elmer, spotted in Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania, while biking the 333 miles from Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C., this week. Nice guy!
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Bronx high school student Dylan detained by ICE asks judge to order his release
Dylan, the 20-year-old Bronx public school student arrested by federal immigration authorities sued the Trump administration late Thursday night over his ongoing detention in Pennsylvania. The 'habeas corpus' petition asked a western Pennsylvania federal judge to find Dylan's arrest was unconstitutional and violated his due process rights — and order his immediate release. 'As long as he remains detained, his health is at continued, serious risk; his ability to [seek a green card] is jeopardized; and he will fall behind on his schoolwork,' read the suit. The complaint, which was first reported by Chalkbeat, names Todd Lyons, the acting director of U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, Kristi Noem, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and Pennsylvania-based immigration authorities as defendants. The Daily News has withheld Dylan's last name at the request of his family. Dylan, who fled persecution in Venezuela, is currently being held at the Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Clearfield County, Penn. He has no criminal history and entered the country legally with humanitarian parole under President Biden. He and his mother appeared on May 21 without a lawyer for a routine court hearing, where the federal government asked a Manhattan immigration judge to dismiss his case. Late last week, his newly retained lawyers at the New York Legal Assistance Group filed a motion to reconsider the dismissal. On their way out of the courthouse, two plainclothes ICE officers followed them into an elevator, handcuffed Dylan and threatened to take in his mother if she tried to record his arrest on her cellphone, according to court documents. His lawyers allege the dismissal was part of a new 'coordinated practice' to transfer Dylan and others out of standard proceedings into a process known as 'expedited removal,' which offers fewer protections. They say the student was selected at 'random.' Removal proceedings are overseen by immigration judges, who are part of the U.S. Department of Justice. Through the process, people can gather evidence and present witnesses, and appeal deportation orders up to the Board of Immigration Appeals and the Circuit Courts of Appeals. By contrast, the expedited removal process — which has been greatly expanded during the Trump administration — is overseen by DHS. That means Dylan and other immigrants in his position have no opportunity to bring their case before a judge or appeal their decision, the lawyers said. DHS earlier this week condemned a Biden-era asylum process that allowed immigrants like Dylan to enter the country with a notice to appear before a judge. The agency claimed President Trump has reverted back to following the law and that the student and others in his position should have faced expedited removal from the beginning. 'If individuals have a valid credible-fear claim, they will continue in immigration proceedings,' officials said in a statement, 'but if no valid claim is found, aliens will be subject to a swift deportation.' Dylan's interview with DHS over his fear claim was Thursday morning. If decided in his favor, his case would revert back to the regular deportation process, according to the suit — but he would remain in detention 'far from loved ones and counsel.' His claim remained pending as of the petition's filing. His lawyers claim he did not meet the requirements for an expedited removal due to the length of time he's been in the United States and that he was legally paroled into the country when he entered. 'The government has not justified why it specifically targeted, arrested, and detained Dylan, a high school student without a criminal record and abiding by all immigration laws and procedures,' read the complaint. And the harms of continuing to detain Dylan may be irreparable, the habeas petition argued. Dylan has a chronic illness related to his stomach, according to his lawyers, which his doctors are still trying to diagnose and treat. The process has required various medical tests to determine whether his symptoms are indicators of cancer or Crohn's disease, and on Tuesday, he got results back that require an in-person appointment as soon as possible. Before he was arrested, Dylan was also in the middle of a process to obtain what's known as Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJS) status based on the death of his father, which would give him a pathway to a green card. He had a hearing scheduled in that process for Friday, which his lawyers expected to miss. Dylan turns 21 later this year and would no longer be eligible for that process. While the case plays out, Dylan's lawyers requested that he remain in Pennsylvania. Since he was taken into custody, Dylan has been moved between facilities in Pennsylvania, Texas, Louisiana and New Jersey. His lawyers accused the federal government of misrepresenting Dylan's whereabouts and said they were unable to speak with Dylan until Wednesday morning — a week after his arrest. In the year and change he was in New York, Dylan enrolled in ELLIS Prep, a program for English learners overaged for traditional high school. Dylan was granted work authorization and took care of his two younger siblings. While his mom worked long hours, he picked the kids up from school. And with the help of his supplemental income as a part-time delivery driver, they were able to move their family out of a homeless shelter — and into their own apartment. New York politicians and immigration advocates have condemned Dylan's detention, including a protest on the steps of the public school system's headquarters on Thursday, which drew hundreds of supporters and even the city schools chancellor. After distancing himself earlier this week from Dylan's arrest, Mayor Adams under pressure from local lawmakers on Friday released a statement that he was 'sad to learn of this incident,' especially since Dylan was following a legal process. 'Keeping New Yorkers safe has always been Mayor Adams' top priority,' said his spokesman Zachary Nosanchuk, 'and he has been clear that our city is less safe when people are afraid to use public resources — like sending their children to school … or partaking in legal proceedings at court.'
Newsweek
3 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
New York High Schooler Arrested by ICE at Court
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A Venezuelan high school student in New York was detained by federal authorities at an immigration court hearing. Dylan, a student at Ellis Preparatory Academy in the Bronx, was detained on May 21 after attending a routine immigration court hearing regarding his asylum application, Chalkbeat reported. "Dylan Josue Lopez Contreras is an illegal alien from Venezuela who illegally entered the U.S. more than one year ago. Under the Biden administration he was encountered at the border and released into the country. On May 21. 2025, Contreras was arrested and placed in expedited removal proceedings," Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Newsweek. Why It Matters ICE appears to be using a new strategy that places apprehended migrants into expedited deportation proceedings, a process that allows for faster removal without the need for traditional court hearings. This approach, known as "expedited removal," can be applied to individuals who have been in the country for less than two years. What To Know Having entered the United States in April 2024 under a Biden-era asylum program, Dylan had been awaiting a court date while working and studying. His deportation case was dismissed by a judge, which inadvertently made him eligible for expedited removal, a fast-track deportation process due to his under-two-year stay in the U.S. ICE agents detained Dylan immediately after the hearing, despite his having no criminal record and no access to legal representation. "It seems like a dirty game on their part," his mother, Raiza, told Chalkbeat. "When someone appears in front of a judge, it's because they don't have any criminal record, they want to do the right only thing he wants is to study." It is the first known example of a current New York City public school student detained by ICE during President Donald Trump's second administration. Approximately 500 students from various New York City schools staged a walkout on May 27, gathering in Union Square Park to protest the detention and the Trump administration's immigration policies. Students emphasized the value of immigrants in the United States and expressed concerns about the erosion of democratic values and free speech. ICE and HSI police walk to an immigration court in Phoenix, Arizona, on May 21, 2025. ICE and HSI police walk to an immigration court in Phoenix, Arizona, on May 21, 2025. Ross D. Franklin/AP What People Are Saying DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Newsweek: "Most aliens who illegally entered the United States within the past two years are subject to expedited removals. Biden ignored this legal fact and chose to release millions of illegal aliens, including violent criminals, into the country with a notice to appear before an immigration judge. ICE is now following the law and placing these illegal aliens in expedited removal, as they always should have been. "If individuals have a valid credible fear claim, they will continue in immigration proceedings, but if no valid claim is found, aliens will be subject to a swift deportation." New York Mayor Eric Adams said at a Tuesday press conference: "We have to be extremely careful because the New York City Council laws, I'm limited on what coordination I can do, and so sometimes there's a blessing and it's a curse. We don't know what happened at that hearing." A spokesperson for the New York Legal Assistance Group said in a statement: "Dylan entered the United States with permission to seek asylum, and his detention robs him of the opportunity to seek that relief with the full protections offered to him under the law." What Happens Next The administration is ramping up efforts to increase ICCE arrests nationwide. Enforcement operations are expected to continue in immigration courts.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Virginia High School Admissions Policy Target of Trump Civil Rights Probe
This article was originally published in Chalkbeat. The federal departments of Education and Justice are investigating whether changes to the admissions policy at a prestigious Virginia high school violated the civil rights of Asian American students, even though the U.S. Supreme Court already let the updated admissions policy stand. The investigation comes after the Virginia Attorney General's Office said its own investigation found 'reasonable cause' to believe bias against Asian American students motivated the changes at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia, and referred the case to federal authorities. Under President Donald Trump, the Education Department has warned school districts that even race-neutral policies that aim to diversify magnet schools and honors programs could amount to illegal discrimination, despite court rulings that have repeatedly upheld such policies. Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter Many school systems with selective high schools are in the midst of ongoing debate about how students should qualify for those schools. This is the first civil rights investigation during the second Trump administration to look specifically at high school admissions. Other cases have targeted mentorship programs for students of color and antiracist teacher training that federal officials say invoked racial stereotypes as the Trump administration tries to root out common practices associated with diversity, equity, and inclusion. Fairfax County Public Schools changed the admissions criteria for the school, commonly known as TJ, in 2020 with the goal of creating a more diverse student body. The 1,800-student school draws from five area school districts and often sends students on to elite colleges and successful careers. In the years before the change, the student body typically was more than two-thirds Asian American. Most students came from just a few middle schools. Very few Black and Latino students attended the school. The district dropped the use of standardized test scores, incorporated 'experience factors' into the admissions process, and reserved seats for students from each middle school in the area. Parents, many of whom were Asian American, organized as the Coalition for TJ and sued the district over the changes, but the Supreme Court declined to take the case in early 2024. That seemed to be the end of the matter. But this week Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, a Republican, said a two-year investigation had found evidence that anti-Asian American bias had motivated the policy change. Miyares said school board members in private communications described the policies as having 'an anti asian feel' and that the changes would 'kick out Asians.' After the policy change, Asian American students went from 73% of admitted students to 54%, the attorney general's office said. The share of white, Black, and Latino students all increased. The study body is currently about 60% Asian American, 20% white, 7% Latino, and 5.5% Black. The attorney general's office did not release a full report that would provide more context for board member comments and told Chalkbeat to obtain it from the school district. The school district said it would consider the request but did not immediately share the report. Coalition for TJ also alleged in its lawsuit that the school district was biased against Asian American students, but the court did not find that the policy change violated equal protection requirements. Miyares referred the case to the federal Justice and Education departments, which announced they would open Title VI investigations into the district. Title VI protects students from discrimination on the basis of race or shared ancestry. 'Thomas Jefferson High School in Fairfax County has long had a reputation for producing some of our nation's brightest minds, due in no small part to its rigorous admissions process,' Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement announcing the investigation. 'The Fairfax County School Board's alleged decision to weigh race in TJ's admissions decisions appears to be both contrary to the law and to the fundamental principle that students should be evaluated on their merit, not the color of their skin.' A spokesperson for Fairfax County Public Schools said the district was reviewing documents related to the investigation and would have a more detailed response in a few days. 'This matter has already been fully litigated,' the district said. 'A federal appellate court determined there was no merit to arguments that the admissions policy for Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology discriminates against any group of students.' Yuyan Chou, a member of Coalition for TJ, told local TV station WUSA9 that the federal investigation gives parents new hope. 'The Supreme Court decided basically not to hear our case and at that point, I thought the American dream died,' she said. 'There's no path forward, there's nothing going to happen again until today. I believe there is a chance we can revive that dream.' Chris Kieser, a senior attorney for the Pacific Legal Foundation, which represented Coalition for TJ and regularly brings lawsuits opposing affirmative action, said he was pleased to see the federal government take another look at the case. 'We certainly think there are grounds to investigate,' he said. Just because the Supreme Court didn't take up the case 'doesn't mean there were no issues.' Kieser said the Pacific Legal Foundation continues to hope that the Supreme Court will take up a high school admissions case. Policies that aim to diversify selective high schools often end up discriminating against Asian American students, Kieser said, and the fact that those student continue to gain admittance at high rates under revised policies doesn't mean they don't discriminate against individual students. Derek Black, a law professor at the University of South Carolina, said civil rights investigations can apply a different standard in seeking to protect students than the Supreme Court did in declining to hear the case. But the Education Department's interpretation of the law appears to be in direct violation of court rulings. 'They have no legal authority to enforce Title VI in a way that is inconsistent with the law,' he said. 'If TJ is willing to stand up for itself, it will have to challenge the administration in court. And this is what has been going on all over the country.' Civil rights investigations often result in negotiated settlements in which school districts agree to make certain changes. The federal government also has the power to withhold federal funds to penalize school districts. Historically that hasn't happened. But under Trump, the federal government has used its civil rights enforcement powers more aggressively in an effort to get states and school districts to comply with its interpretations of the law. Black said the department appears to be applying disparate impact theory — a type of legal analysis that looks at whether certain policies affect certain groups in disproportionate ways — to a high school admissions policy just weeks after Trump signed an executive order barring the use of disparate impact theory. The administration would need a 'smoking gun' that showed bias against Asian American students to conclude that the district violated those students' civil rights, Black said. This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools. Sign up for their newsletters at
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
How an Indiana Teacher Prepares Students for College Success
This article was originally published in Chalkbeat. As new graduation requirements go into effect in Indiana, more students will likely take college and career courses to prepare for life after high school. But making sure students can access these classes — and succeed in them — takes some patience and creativity. When Sheridan High School teacher Jill Cali noticed her students struggling with the longer deadlines and open-ended questions typical of college assignments, she began to teach them how to break tasks into more manageable steps. Soon, her students were reaping the benefits. Other roadblocks to students' success in college courses, especially in rural communities like Sheridan, a town of 3,000 people in northwest Hamilton County, include accessing these credits and paying for them. Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter Cali said being part of the Rural Early College Network, sponsored by the Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning at the University of Indianapolis, allows her students to earn college credits for free. The network also serves as a source of support, allowing her to exchange ideas with teachers at other schools. 'The struggles that students typically have in early college courses are some of the same things that prevent many students from being confident that they will find success in college,' Cali told Chalkbeat. 'When students believe they don't have the ability to be successful in completing college-level work, their first instinct is to shy away from it.' Read on to learn more about how Cali approaches her early college classes. This interview has been lightly edited for length. I decided to become a teacher during my sophomore year of college when I realized that I was not meant to be an accountant! I had always loved working with kids and had a natural talent in Spanish, so becoming a [Spanish] teacher seemed like a good fit. The longer I teach, the more sure I am that this was the right path for me. I was made to be a teacher. Our superintendent suggested I pursue a Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction so I would be able to teach the dual-credit Education Professions courses. During our conversation, he convinced me that the degree program would be flexible enough to work with my busy single parenting and teaching schedule and that I would see the return on my investment very quickly. He was right. The following week, at the age of 42, I enrolled in a program to complete my master's degree online, working at my own pace. I finished in six months, after working tirelessly to make sure that I only had to pay for one term. In order to be approved as a dual-credit instructor, I had to coordinate with my high school's higher education partner, Ivy Tech Community College. This involved submitting my [college and grad school] transcripts, along with a proposed syllabus for each of the courses I planned to teach. The process was honestly pretty quick and painless. In my Principles of Teaching class, the introduction to teaching course, I teach about differentiation and making accommodations for students with special needs. My very favorite lesson to teach is the one in which I give students various tasks, but each has a different limitation. Their reactions, creative thinking, and 'aha moments' are the reason it is my favorite lesson. During that lesson, my students realize that some of the most basic tasks can be entirely impossible with just one small limitation. Their internalization of how frustrating learning can be for some of our students really helps us to move forward with the unit of study in a productive manner. Throughout my childhood and into adulthood, I was a student who strived for excellence in every subject. Realizing that I finally understood a concept I had been trying to grasp or persevering through a tough problem to find an answer always gave me immense satisfaction. I loved the 'light bulb moments' as a student, but I enjoy them even more now that I am the teacher. A natural lifelong learner myself, it has always been my goal to inspire my students to be inquisitive and curious investigators of anything that interests them. At a glance, my classroom looks a bit more like a college classroom than many high school classrooms. I was fortunate enough to be able to use grant money to furnish the room with flexible seating options. What you can't see is that my early college students work with elementary students, getting experience in the field. The flexible seating allows them to move seamlessly between working independently and cooperating and creating with their peers. Students in early college learn that when something feels overwhelming or difficult, they have the tools to tackle it on their own. This doesn't mean that they can't ask for help or guidance. It means that before asking for help, students should make sure they have exhausted all options for figuring it out on their own. I send a letter to each student and one home to their caregivers prior to the start of school in the fall, explaining what dual-credit means and what the expectations will look like in my early college class. This ensures that there is no confusion about what will be expected of early college students and also opens the lines of communication with students and families. Having taught these courses for a few years, I've found that students struggle with a course that has larger assignments and more time between deadlines. The first thing I do to support them in addressing this is to show them how they can break larger assignments and projects into smaller tasks on their own. Many students are used to having teachers do this for them. I show them how they can establish their own, smaller deadlines based on what they know about their personal schedule, how fast they tend to work, and the support they think they might need. Students also find it challenging to write nearly everything for their dual-credit courses using a formal tone with proper grammar and spelling. In addition, students tend to have trouble answering multi-part questions … particularly when they are higher-level thinking questions. I spend a full class period — more, if needed — showing them and having them practice how to appropriately respond to the types of writing prompts and questions they will typically see in their early college courses. Another area where students tend to struggle is with attendance and deadlines. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many schools insisted that students be shown grace in both of those areas. Unfortunately, this instilled in them the idea that as long as they completed all graded assignments, it didn't matter whether they participated in class or how late assignments were submitted. Though their learning is always my primary focus, much of what my students learn builds on itself. In addition, much of the learning takes place through class discussions. The greatest barrier to postsecondary opportunities for students in my school is the financial barrier. The dual-credit courses we offer are all free to our students, so when they successfully complete those courses, the number of semesters that will be required for them to complete their degree can be reduced. This translates to money saved for the student and makes their postsecondary options more affordable and attainable. Rural Early College Network schools meet throughout the school year to share ideas and support each other in building programs that provide our students with the tools they need to be successful in our classrooms, in college, and beyond. The best advice I have ever received with regard to teaching is, 'Student behavior and choices are almost never personal attacks against the teacher.' It was the great reminder that my teenage students' brains are not fully developed. When they make poor choices or when they act out, it nearly never has anything to do with how they feel about me or anything even relating to me. Letting that go and remembering to see their behaviors as something completely separate from me has really made it much easier to create consequences when appropriate, support my students when needed, and establish a welcoming environment in which every student starts fresh every day. This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools. Sign up for their newsletters at
