Many students and families of Mesa County Valley District 51 are unhappy with the district’s response to the increase of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
At the D51 School Board meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 18, several D51 students spoke out about the presence of ICE in Mesa County, the manner in which the district responded and the negative impact it’s having in schools.
“I think it’s commendable that they talked about it and they have reached out and have procedures, but I think their next thing should be that they shouldn’t allow [ICE] at all and should be protecting children,” said GJHS senior Ben Himes, who was one of the students to speak at the Feb. 18 board meeting.
These students touched on the hateful rhetoric that many people have adopted toward those who are threatened by the presence of ICE. Students have reportedly used ill-mannered jokes and jabs about their peers being deported and even being immigrants in general. According to an article from The Daily Sentinel published on Feb. 20, Fruita Monument High School student Colleen Moore remarked that teachers and staff are not putting forth any effort to put a stop to these jokes and comments or even punish those who make them.
D51 sent out an email to families and staff addressing ICE in Mesa County and how things will be conducted in lieu of it. The letter acknowledged the stress the situation has and will cause for community members and detailed their commitment to keeping schools safe and supported.
The letter also stated that ICE is allowed to enter schools due to newly-elected President Donaly Trump’s recent Executive Order 14159 (Protecting the American People Invasion), but that they have policies in place that dictate how these interactions can take place.
“The information we have received is that schools are not a target for ICE, and we have not had any interaction with ICE at any of our schools. In fact, no school in Colorado has. If ICE were to try and enter one of our school buildings, we have policies and procedures that we follow. No one from the outside is allowed to just enter a school,” D51 Superintendent Dr. Brian Hill responded by email.
The issue is politically divisive because of the often conservative leaning support of deportations and the increase of ICE. In the letter to families, the district also stated that they will not display any political affiliation, offer legal counsel or support to students, collect or retain any immigration status, or release student’s and families information without legal requirements.
Some people in the community are entirely displeased with the district’s response. In a letter to The Daily Sentinel, Grand Junction community member Debra Cahill wrote: “This is NOT political! The school district does have a responsibility to send a clear message to ALL students about acceptable behavior. D51 must create the safest, most focused learning environment. This is their highest responsibility. This is NOT political. The students are telling you to ‘do your job.’”
D51 Legal Counsel Tammy Eret referred questions about the issue to the board meeting that took place on March 4, and the board’s policies KI-R and KI “visitors to school.” She also declined offering any legal advice or information for families dealing with ICE.
School board policies KI-R and KI state that visitors must check in with the office and provide identification before entering the school and can be denied by administration, furthermore visitors are not allowed to have unsupervised contact with students unless they are a legal parent or guardian. The district’s letter to families and staff did not clearly indicate how these policies will be utilized to keep students safe from ICE.
“If a student is directly impacted, staff must contact the student’s parent/guardian immediately. Throughout this entire process, the outside individuals are not allowed inside the school building beyond the vestibule. We want our legal department and safety and security department to be involved so that the school staff aren’t burdened with the decision making process,” responded Hill by email.
According to Hill, staff are instructed to ask for official identification stating agency or organization. If ICE presents a subpoena and signed warrant, staff must contact the district’s legal department. Documentation or not, administration must contact the D51 Director of Safety and Security.
“I don’t think it’s a matter of politics, I think it’s a matter of the fact that kids are coming to school, they should be in a safe environment. They should feel safe and protected. I think that when you state that you’re not going to interfere with it, that it eliminates a lot of that protection,” said Himes.
