ECSD teachers want written guidelines for dealing with ICE agents
By Mary Lett
The Escambia County School District has not yet been subjected to any ICE raids within its schools, but teachers and community members are pushing school district leadership to adopt written guidelines for staff interactions with immigration and law enforcement agencies.
Escambia Schools Superintendent Keith Leonard said no district schools have had issues with immigration officials or law enforcement coming into schools to date.
In October, Escambia County Schools had about 1,300 English Language Learners (ELL) enrolled for the 2024-2025 school year − an increase from previous years. During the 2022-2023 academic year, the district had more than 850 ELL students. During the 2021-2022, the district had 735 ELL students.
The school district’s ESOL programs are funded by Title III. In the Escambia County schools, Spanish is the No. 1 ELL language followed by Vietnamese, Arabic, Portuguese and Russian, according to school data. Overall, 30 languages and 45 countries are represented in the school district.
“We have a large immigrant community there. Tonight, I am here because that community is very scared. Students and their families, also teachers around the district, are asking me every day, ‘Is it true that immigration officers will just be allowed to come into our schools? Is it true that I might be taken away at the bus stop?’" said Ferry Pass Middle School teacher Carol Cleaver at the Escambia County School Board meeting Feb. 18.
"This community has real fears, and I think it’s time to get guidelines in writing," Cleaver continued. "I’ve told Mr. Leonard I’ve joked around with him that I’ve never been in his position. I don’t know how to run a school district, but I think that it could go a long way to cutting down on confusion if we consider some of the guidelines that other counties in Florida have already put into writing.”
Cleaver referenced the Lee County School District guidelines, which cite the Supreme Court case Plyler v. Doe and Florida’s Mendicancy Decree.
In 1982, Plyler v. Doe struck down a state statute denying funding for education of undocumented immigrant children in the U.S. and an independent school district's attempt to charge an annual $1,000 tuition fee for each student to compensate for lost state funding.
The Consent (Mendicancy) Decree is the state’s framework for complying with federal and state laws and jurisprudence regarding the education of ELL students.
“Nowhere in these (Lee County) guidelines do they suggest that we break any laws or go against law enforcement. But it just gives guidance to school administrators and emboldens school staff with knowledge of how we can support students and how we can cut down on fear,” Cleaver added.
Leonard told the News Journal the school district’s Student Code of Conduct provides direction to administrators, faculty and staff on how to deal with law enforcement agencies.
“The Student Code of Conduct is updated annually to adhere to all state laws and federal regulations as they are stipulated. We’ve already had two public meetings that relate to new items for the 2025-2026 Student Code of Conduct. Those hearings are always advertised and open to the public,” he said, noting he and Escambia County School Board members also listen during the public forum session of board meetings.
“We always encourage citizens to continue to voice their concerns.”
Dashaun McKenzie, a Brown Barge Middle School teacher, echoed Cleaver’s comments, stating the Lee County guidelines make it clear to administrators and teachers what is legal and illegal.
“I think those guidelines are very thorough. They address the actual root of the law because, as a teacher, I’ve been hearing ‘will comply with the law or will comply with law enforcement,’ which I think is a very muddy way of answering the question,” McKenzie said.
“Complying with the law would mean ICE agents have to come with legal warrants signed seeking specific students. Whereas, if an ICE agent shows up without that documentation, and simply asks to come on campus to search or to just interview students without parental permission or without contacting parents, administrators could be in a position where they feel they have to comply with law enforcement, despite that being a violation of the law.”
McKenzie added he has already seen some students miss school – out of fear.
“…I would like for our students to be able to come to school safely and understand that they have protections. And their teachers and administrators will follow the law and not any rogue agents who may approach the school,” he said.
Sol Alfonso, a community organizer, also urged board members to adopt written guidelines that can prevent law enforcement from entering schools without valid court-issued warrants.
“I emphasize 'valid' because there have been cases where these warrants are invalid. They are not signed by a judge. They have the wrong date on them. They don’t have the students or the adult’s correct name. These are invalid warrants that ICE and other law enforcement officers cannot use,” Alfonso said.