Minnesota Schools Seek to Block Immigration Enforcement Near Campuses

Thu Apr 09 2026 00:21:07 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Fridley and Duluth school districts, along with the state's main teachers union, are seeking a federal court injunction to stop a Trump-era immigration enforcement policy affecting schools.

Attorneys representing two Minnesota school districts and a major teachers union requested a federal judge to block the Trump administration's immigration enforcement policy that allows increased actions near schools. The districts argue the policy has deterred attendance and created an unsafe environment for students. Many educators have reported declines in school attendance since the policy change, raising concerns about student safety and educational accessibility. The court's ruling will have significant implications for how immigration law is enforced around sensitive locations like schools.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Attorneys for two Minnesota school districts and the state’s main teachers union asked a federal judge Wednesday to block a Trump administration change in policy that gave immigration authorities a freer hand to conduct enforcement actions in and near schools.

The Department of Homeland Security last year rescinded longstanding nationwide restrictions on immigration enforcement in or near “sensitive locations” such as schools and school bus stops, churches, and hospitals that effectively made them off-limits except in rare circumstances.

The Fridley and Duluth school districts, and the Education Minnesota union, sued to block the new policy in February, amid reports of increased immigration patrols under Operation Metro Surge, a crackdown that involved around 3,000 federal officers deployed in the state. Reports indicate that federal agents killed two citizens in Minneapolis during this operation.

The plaintiffs requested the court for either a stay or preliminary injunction that would restore the previous restraints on immigration enforcement actions.

Attorney Amanda Cialkowski, representing the districts and the union, expressed uncertainty on whether a favorable ruling would extend beyond Minnesota or to other “sensitive locations” like churches and hospitals.

“We’ll just have to wait and see what the judge does,” she said.

The policy's implementation has caused widespread concern among educators nationwide, with many recounting its negative impacts on the learning environment. There are reports of heightened fear leading families to withdraw students from schools, as well as incidents of parents and students being detained at bus stops.

Democrats have called for federal officials to cease enforcement actions around sensitive locations like schools, a demand still under negotiation in Congress regarding funding for Homeland Security.

The core legal arguments before U.S. District Judge Laura Provinzino revolved around whether the districts and the union had standing to sue and if they had demonstrated direct harm caused by the policy change. The government argued that even under the prior rules, enforcement actions could still occur near schools.

Provinzino indicated she would aim to issue a ruling expediently while ensuring thorough consideration of the case.

Superintendents from both districts reported significant drops in school attendance since the imposition of the new policy, notably that the Fridley district lost 72 students since December, impacting funding reliant on student numbers.

Ultimately, the changes introduced by the policy threaten not just educational access for immigrant families but also the financial stability of the districts affected.