EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The incoming Trump administration could get rid of the policy that prohibits Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from arresting undocumented people at schools, churches, hospitals, and other “protected areas.”
The policy has been in place since 2011, and it has allowed undocumented people to move freely in certain public spaces without the fear of getting arrested.
Dylan Corbett, the executive director of the Hope and Border Institute, a social justice organization in the Borderland, said the potential of getting rid of this policy is troubling.
“It would affect our community in a real way. It would be a real threat to the people in our community. El Paso is an immigrant community. It’s part of who we are. It’s part of what it means to be a border community,” Corbett said.
Immigration advocates add that now is a time for people who are vulnerable to immigration enforcement to know their rights and their options.
KTSM reached out to school districts in the community. Canutillo ISD is the only one that responded to our inquiry. The full statement reads:
“Canutillo ISD strongly believes that effective teaching and learning occurs when families feel safe from harm and persecution while on campus. The district opposes the president-elect’s proposal to potentially disrupt the instructional process by allowing ICE to have unchecked access to our schools to perform law-enforcement work that traditionally has not happened on school grounds. Educators work best when they focus on children instead of the work of adults. The federal government should let local districts do what they do best: educate the children of our community.”
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