Imagine there’s a small kayak on quite a large lake. A young camper is rowing said kayak. Slowly, steadily toward the far shore. Now imagine a boulder falls from the sky, splashing in near the kayak, fierce waves rippling from the impact zone. The kayak is pushed off course, perhaps even capsized. The camper is now treading water, scrambling for their paddle. The far shore looks even farther away.

The moral of the story? Todd Rokita’s heart is two sizes too small. I’ll explain what I mean in a moment.

Because what I want to talk about today follows from an article I wrote some weeks back highlighting six Indianapolis schools that are making concerted efforts to reduce chronic absenteeism. A reader rightfully inquired whether current national immigration policy might be having a chilling effect on student attendance.

To which I say, of course it does.

Recent Immigration Policy Changes are Negatively Impacting Schools, Students

In the story I opened with, the “camper” is a stand in for immigrant students. The boulder is our new immigration policy, which is cruel, inhumane, and pointless (in that it can’t possibly achieve what its proponents purport that it is designed to achieve and is instead already indiscriminately damaging innocent people’s lives). One of the biggest shifts in relation to education is that Trump ended Biden’s previous guidance limiting immigration enforcement actions at schools. These institutions are no longer protected (though, to be clear, Biden’s record on immigration was also appalling in many ways) and, in turn, neither are students or their families within the context of school.

It’s too early for hard data on attendance but what I’m hearing from schools so far is not good. Many students, regardless of their exact immigration status, now exist in fear. They attend school less and their families take advantage of services less. Even if attendance weren’t impacted, I can guarantee it’s all taking a toll on students’ mental health. Do we really think telling a child “You are not welcome here” could somehow improve our country, let alone an individual community, let alone a school?

At one school that operates a food pantry, they’ve noticed a stark decline in the number of Hispanic families accessing this resource since Trump’s executive orders on immigration.

This is cruel, inhumane, pointless.

Oh by the way, state tests like IREAD and ILEARN are coming up. If students are even in school to take them, it’s likely the months leading up to them have seen students get less time receiving the academic support they need. We can imagine the kind of academic outcomes this might lead to.

In response to the rapid shifts in immigration policy, many schools have put policies into place for how they will handle a visit from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). They have trained staff. They have sought to reassure families that they will do everything possible to keep school buildings safe for them and their students, regardless of their immigration status. They have also, in some cases, run afoul of the powers that be.

A Dust-Up Between IPS and Todd Rokita

IPS has been a notable leader in this space. Which prompted Indiana’s Attorney General Todd Rokita to threaten legal action against them as he felt their internal policies were in violation of state and federal law. This is the part of the story where we look at the size of Rokita’s heart. (A reference I use because, if you know anything about the Grinch’s story, you know the size of his heart can change. By which I mean, “Todd, you don’t have to do this! You could be a more humane attorney general!).

Rokita took particular issue with statements from IPS that they would require a judicial warrant signed by a judge (rather than just an administrative warrant issued by ICE) for access to school grounds. We’ve come out the other side in a seeming stalemate, as IPS has updated its guidance on its website to read, “IPS will cooperate with ICE as required under the law. For the safety of our staff and children, we will require proper legal documentation from ICE or any other government agency to enter school facilities or buildings.”

Rokita sought to change IPS’ policy in particular. But in general, I think Rokita’s threat to IPS can also be read as putting all Indiana schools on notice. I don’t think he’s anti-IPS. I think he’s anti-immigrant. And IPS just gave him a convenient target to scorch some earth soon after Trump’s inauguration. [For instance, I had someone tell me they thought Rokita’s targeting of just IPS with his letter somehow indicated that he’s pro-charter school. I find that laughable and I’m sure charter schools and other major Marion County districts took notice of Rokita’s letter and quietly updated their policies as a result.]

So why do I say Rokita’s heart two sizes too small? There are a couple of things I find particularly cruel, inhumane, and pointless about Rokita’s letter. He writes, “Unquestionably, school grounds may be the site of important immigration enforcement activity.” Because it may be necessary to “preserve school safety.” Are undocumented students making our schools unsafe? The most Rokita has to offer here is that gang members have enrolled in schools. Does he mean kids who happen to be in gangs? Kids whose parents are involved in gang activity? How many? Have they committed any crimes? Have they committed any crimes at school? Perhaps Rokita can easily answer those questions, but he chooses not to here. And you know who is already responsible for school safety? Local police.

He goes on to say ICE may need to access school grounds to reunite a student with their parents before the entire family gets deported. You know, because he cares about making sure the whole family gets deported at once to reduce the cruelty involved.

Elsewhere, he argues for why ICE should be allowed on school grounds with just an administrative warrant by saying “school officials may assist law enforcement in conducting searches and seizures on school grounds.” Well, of course they may. But they typically don’t have to.

But it’s not clear to me why school officials should welcome ICE with open arms and give them a tour of the school as he seems to think they should unless they come bearing legal documents that justify their presence.  

The Knock-On Effects

Enough about Rokita’s letter though, because it’s really the knock-on effects that concern me. After all, Indiana students now have a sense of jeopardy hanging over their heads from both the national and state level.

Will they and their families be deported? It’s a big question mark. Trump’s policies haven’t immediately led to a surge in ICE visits to schools. But the specter now exists and Rokita just affirmed that he in no way means to stand in the breach. It’s a different type of wolf he’s inviting to the school house door. Yet a wolf all the same. And it comes shortly after Indiana’s Department of Education was celebrating academic progress in literacy for English Language Learner students.

Even as one arm of the state seeks to improve outcomes, another makes it much harder for students to feel safe attending school. Welcome to Indiana. I’m sorry. Some people aren’t glad that you’re here.