Parents and teachers ask Escambia board for formal guidance on ICE entry into schools

Parents, teachers and community advocates urged the Escambia County School Board on Aug. 19 to issue clear, written guidance telling school employees how to respond if U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents seek to enter campuses.
Speakers said confusion about legal rights and procedures has already created fear among immigrant families and caused student absenteeism. They asked the district to adopt straightforward measures used in other Florida counties: written response policies, designated staff to review warrants, training for nonauthorized staff, and instructions about documenting interactions with immigration enforcement.
Several speakers described firsthand impacts. Rafael Lopez, a parent, said public-records requests showed discrepancies between district and state counts for vendor emails and said the issue is about transparency and public rights. Calista (Kalistra) Brown and Charlie Dial said schools should make clear that ICE generally needs a judicial warrant to enter and search school grounds and that staff should be trained to ask for identification and documentation.
Teachers and school employees asked the board for a short, accessible summary of the law in lay terms and a small-campus-ready checklist (for example, a posted notice or standardized script) so families and staff know how the district will respond. Deshaun McKenzie, a teacher and Escambia Education Association member, said absenteeism rose last school year as raids elsewhere increased and urged the district to issue guidance similar to Lee, Orange and other Florida counties.
Board members asked the district's attorney and operations staff about local incidents; the attorney said there have been no ICE interactions at district schools to her knowledge, though she acknowledged that federal law-enforcement policies have historically discouraged enforcement at "sensitive sites" such as schools and churches and that the district could look at formalizing a local policy.
The board did not adopt new rules at the meeting. Speakers requested the district supply a written policy, designate authorized staff to review warrants, and provide consistent training and communication to reduce confusion for families and staff.