Minnesota Schools and Educators File Federal Lawsuit to Halt Immigration Enforcement at ‘Sensitive Locations’

This report was originally produced by The 74, a nonprofit news site covering education.

A coalition of Minnesota school districts and the state’s largest teachers union, Education Minnesota, initiated a high-stakes legal battle in U.S. District Court this Wednesday. The plaintiffs are seeking a court-ordered reinstatement of a long-standing federal policy that historically designated schools, churches, and medical facilities as "sensitive locations" immune from routine immigration enforcement activities.

The lawsuit, which names Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) as defendants, challenges the federal government’s recent decision to prioritize enforcement operations in and around educational environments.

The Shift in Federal Policy

The legal challenge follows a drastic pivot in federal policy. On January 20, 2025—the day of President Donald Trump’s second inauguration—the administration repealed the decades-old directive that had largely shielded schools from immigration raids.

In a statement released shortly after the repeal, the Department of Homeland Security signaled a departure from previous administrative restraint. "Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest," the agency stated. "The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense."

ICE Director Todd Lyons, a primary defendant in the lawsuit, reinforced this stance during a press conference in Nogales, Arizona. "We didn’t need any new laws," Lyons asserted. "We just need the ability to enforce the ones we have."

Chronology of Escalation: From Policy Shift to Classroom Crisis

The impact of the policy change was near-immediate, creating a climate of fear that has rippled across Minnesota’s K-12 landscape.

• January 20, 2025: The federal government formally rescinds the "sensitive locations" policy, effective immediately.
• January 2026: Tensions peak as reports surface of federal agents monitoring school perimeters, conducting traffic stops on school buses, and engaging in aggressive surveillance of school staff and board members.
• Late January 2026: A Minneapolis mother, Renee Good, is killed during an ICE operation, sparking widespread outrage and concern among school leaders regarding the proximity of federal agents to students.
• February 1, 2026: Five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, whose image went viral after his detention in a Texas facility, is returned to his home in Columbia Heights, Minnesota, following an escort by Rep. Joaquin Castro.
• February 2, 2026: Hours after the return of Ramos, ICE agents are reported stationed in the parking lot of a Columbia Heights school, coinciding with a bomb threat that forced emergency protocols.
• February 4, 2026: Education Minnesota and a coalition of districts file a formal complaint in U.S. District Court, citing violations of the Administrative Procedure Act and constitutional protections.

Supporting Data: The Erosion of Attendance and Safety

The legal filing provides a grim picture of the operational reality within Minnesota schools. The coalition argues that the presence of federal agents is not merely a political issue but a functional barrier to education.

In the Rochester Public School district, Superintendent Kent Pekel reports that January absenteeism was 42% higher than in the previous month. Among students receiving English learner services, the spike reached 116%, while Latino student absenteeism rose by 108%. Out of a student population of 15,500, over 200 families have pulled their children from physical classrooms to enroll in the district’s online-only program.

Duluth Public Schools, another plaintiff in the suit, has faced immense financial and administrative strain. Superintendent John Magas noted that over the last two months, half of his administrative team’s bandwidth has been consumed by security planning and crisis management. The district has already spent upwards of $500,000 on security measures necessitated by the surge in federal activity.

"We know students can’t learn unless they feel safe," Magas said. "Right now, there is a great sense of lack of safety, especially among our historically underserved students, based on what we are seeing."

Official Responses and Administrative Defenses

The federal government maintains that its current enforcement posture is necessary for national security and the rule of law. White House border czar Tom Homan has publicly insisted that immigration agents are in the process of "de-escalating" their presence, claiming that approximately 700 agents are slated to leave Minnesota soon.

However, school officials remain skeptical. Despite these assurances, the number of agents expected to remain in the state exceeds the 2,000 personnel present at the time of the fatal incident involving Renee Good. Education leaders contend that schools are currently being targeted as intensively as at any point since the policy change.

As of the time of publication, the Department of Homeland Security had not provided a response to inquiries regarding the lawsuit.

Historical Context: A Departure from Bedrock Principles

The plaintiffs argue that the current administration is abandoning a consensus that spanned multiple presidencies. From 1993 until 2025, immigration policy required advance, written approval for any enforcement action near a school, with bus stops specifically categorized as off-limits.

A 2007 internal DHS rule emphasized the sensitivity of these locations, stating: "The presence [of ICE] agents conducting investigative activity at schools, or in venues where children’s activities occur, has always been a point of particular sensitivity. Accordingly, it is important to emphasize that great care and forethought be applied before undertaking any investigative or enforcement type action at or near schools."

In 2021, this principle was further codified by then-Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who described the protection of schools and medical facilities as a "bedrock" principle that allowed the agency to fulfill its mission without denying children access to education.

Implications for the Future of Public Education

The lawsuit brought by the Minnesota districts is being financed largely by the teachers union, as districts move to protect their students without utilizing limited taxpayer funds. The implications of the case reach far beyond the borders of Minnesota.

1. Financial and Academic Instability

Because public school funding in Minnesota is tethered to daily student attendance, the sustained absenteeism is causing a projected revenue crisis. Beyond the balance sheet, the academic impact is profound; students who are too fearful to attend school are missing critical instruction, and the digital divide remains a persistent barrier for those forced into online-only learning.

2. The Normalization of Fear

The complaint details instances of federal agents tackling students, pulling day-care workers from vehicles, and detaining staff in parking lots. Such events, educators argue, destroy the "safe harbor" status traditionally afforded to schools. As Rochester Superintendent Kent Pekel noted, even in districts where ICE has not yet entered school property, the pervasive fear is enough to keep families away. "One incident could wipe that [attendance] out," he cautioned.

3. Legal Precedent and Federalism

The outcome of Fridley et al. v. Noem et al. could establish a significant precedent regarding the extent of federal authority in local educational spaces. The plaintiffs contend that DHS failed to conduct a proper impact analysis when rescinding the sensitive locations policy, a procedural failure that the courts may find compelling.

As the litigation proceeds, the atmosphere in Minnesota schools remains one of heightened vigilance. While some districts have seen a slight rebound in attendance, the underlying anxiety remains. Informal community networks continue to operate, providing rides, food, and communication to families who remain on the margins.

For now, the educators of Minnesota await a judicial signal on whether the classroom can once again be treated as a sanctuary, or if the "common sense" enforcement doctrine of the current administration will continue to transform school zones into theaters of federal operation.