During his first week in office, President Trump allowed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to show up at sensitive places including churches, hospitals and schools. Since then, there have been ICE sightings at schools in the Lawrence and Kansas City areas.

Jonah Kahn | [email protected]

Lawrence Public Schools (LPS) Interim Superintendent Dr. Jeanice Kerr Swift sent an email to parents on Jan. 24, reassuring parents of the district’s commitment and protection of its students.

Dr. Swift said that, while ICE agents have been sighted in local areas, there are no reports of ICE arriving to LPS schools. 

If ICE agents do arrive at a school, they would need to present legal documents like a warrant or subpoena. 

“Those officers at the door would need to present their documents and that would occur down at the superintendent’s office,” Dr. Swift said.

Documents would then be reviewed and determined if agents have clearance to enter the school or not. 

However, regardless of the immigration status of a student or a student’s parents, K-12 students are allowed a constitutional right to education. 

Teachers and staff who work in LPS received a separate email from parents about this law and other laws that protect students. The email also included links and resources to help educators.

“All families that show up in Lawrence Public Schools are welcome here and we want them to feel safe,” School Board President Kelly Jones said. 

The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) also released information about laws that protect students. Jones and Dr. Swift said the guidelines set for the district closely follow information KSDE has sent. 

Another important LPS guideline is that it will not share any information about its students. 

“Our families trust us with the most important thing, their children, and so we owe that commitment to our children,” Swift said. 

Dr. Swift included that LPS has conversed with schools in Topeka and the Kansas City area, and even across the country on how to best protect their students. 

Both Jones and Dr. Swift emphasized that, amidst fear and concerns, the LPS’s main focus is its students.