The start of the school year, a time of excitement and possibility for Connecticut students as they return to their teachers, friends, and familiar routines, is instead turning into the worst nightmare in many of our communities.
Educators have spent their summer preparing to welcome students into classrooms where they can learn and grow. But in these first few days of school, that joyful return is being overshadowed by fear. A surge in ICE detentions, including those involving legal residents, is taking place at school dropoffs, bus stops, and other places where children are left to witness a parent or loved one being taken away.
Already the consequences are reaching far beyond the individuals detained. Entire communities are living under a cloud of terror, with families keeping their children home for fear of what may happen on the way to school or back. Children are losing access not only to education but also, critically, to friendships, trusted adults, meals, healthcare, and other supports they receive at their neighborhood schools. Communities are scrambling to provide safe passage to and from school, as well as meals and other essentials.
This is not what back-to-school should look like in Connecticut—or anywhere.
Our schools should be places of safety, stability, and belonging. Teachers are opening their classroom doors ready to build relationships and help their students thrive. But children cannot be expected to learn when they are anxious that a parent may disappear while they are in class—or when their families are too afraid to send them to school at all.
With the 2025 expansion of the Trust Act, Connecticut stands as a leader in the fight for human rights, immigrant justice, and schools as safe spaces. Across the country, educators are leading the fight as well. Earlier this year, the National Education Association filed an emergency motion to stop ICE from indiscriminately operating in and around schools. We must continue to reject the cruelty of policies and practices that inflict such trauma on our youngest, our most vulnerable, and the communities they call home.
