Recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity in MCPS has sparked fear and concerns for immigrant families. Although directives at the federal level, including a press release from the Department of Homeland Security, have allowed ICE into schools to “do their jobs,” MCPS maintains policies to protect student and family data from ICE, in addition to providing resources to help these families during emergencies or raids.

Back in September of 2025, there was an incident at Eastern Middle School where masked, armed federal agents arrived at the school, chased two men, and then handcuffed them during student drop-off.

In response, Superintendent Thomas Taylor reaffirmed that schools should remain sensitive locations where education and the safety of the students are the priority, not their immigration status.

To further navigate incidents like the one at Eastern Middle School, MCPS created a framework of federal, state, and local laws to protect its students.

One of the most important pieces of recent federal legislation is the Trust Act (Bill 32-35), which limits how much county agencies, including school security, can cooperate with federal immigration and customs enforcement. Its goal is to make sure that local resources, especially at schools, are not used to facilitate deportations.

Additionally, under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), MCPS continues to enforce its policies that prevent the disclosure of sensitive student and family data to ICE without specific legal mandates and warrants.

Although federal policy previously designated most schools as sensitive locations, the Department of Homeland Security recently asserted that ICE is allowed into schools to “do their jobs”. However, MCPS is doing its best to limit enforcement actions like arrests or searches that happen at school to avoid disrupting the learning environment of its students.

MCPS is also ensuring that schools provide resources for staff to be trained on how to handle the presence of law enforcement and ensure protocols are followed correctly. Specific security response plans remain confidential to protect student safety.

Families concerned about their status or about potential encounters with ICE should visit the MPCS website to view their available resources. The information that can be found there includes:

• Emergency resources: Documentation and toolkits to help families prepare for potential raids
• Community support: Organizations like CASA offer legal and non-legal assistance to the immigrant communities in all of Maryland
• School contacts: Students and families concerned or interested in learning about their school’s specific safety policies are encouraged to speak with their administrators.

In a time of uncertainty, it is important to stay informed and to know the rights granted to students in Maryland.