Minnesota School Districts File Lawsuit Against DHS Over Immigration Enforcement Operations
Two Minnesota school districts have taken legal action against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), filing a lawsuit that alleges recent immigration enforcement operations have instilled widespread fear within school communities, significantly disrupted student attendance, and interfered with daily educational operations. The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in Minnesota by Fridley Public Schools and Duluth Public Schools, with support from Minnesota's educators union.
Legal Challenge Targets "Operation Metro Surge" and Policy Changes
The legal complaint specifically challenges DHS's expanded enforcement activities under "Operation Metro Surge" in the Twin Cities metro area. According to the filing, the deployment of up to 3,000 DHS agents has created substantial negative impacts on students, families, and school staff members. The lawsuit seeks to overturn a Trump administration policy that rescinded long-standing protections limiting immigration enforcement in designated "sensitive locations," including schools.
Federal immigration agents have reportedly been observed near schools, preschool facilities, and bus stops, with some incidents involving agents stopping school vans and detaining parents in proximity to school grounds. The complaint states that DHS presence "in and near school property has created an atmosphere of fear" affecting native-born citizens, naturalized citizens, and legally present immigrants alike.
Measurable Impacts on School Attendance and Operations
The districts report that enforcement activities have led to measurable declines in student attendance. Fridley Public Schools documented that attendance dropped by nearly one-third during Operation Metro Surge, with approximately 400 families opting for remote learning instead. School administrators express concern that this shift may negatively affect academic performance and require additional remediation resources.
Research cited in the lawsuit by Stanford University professor Thomas Dee found that immigration raids during the second Trump administration were associated with a 22% increase in daily absences across five California school districts, with younger students being the most significantly affected. The filing also recounts specific attendance disruptions, noting that on January 9, about half of Spanish-speaking students and a quarter of Somali students in nearby St. Paul Public Schools were absent following an incident involving ICE agents.
Operational Disruptions and Expanded Staff Responsibilities
School administrators have altered their daily routines in response to the enforcement activities. One elementary school principal reportedly checks the campus perimeter daily for DHS agents, while the Fridley superintendent patrols near schools and bus stops each afternoon. The districts claim they have had to implement additional security measures and divert staff resources to address community concerns.
School social workers in Minnesota are now delivering groceries to families too fearful to shop in person, diverting time from their regular professional responsibilities. The lawsuit alleges that agents have followed staff members during these delivery activities. Schools in multiple states, including Minnesota, Maine, Illinois, and California, have temporarily closed, shifted to remote learning, or adjusted schedules in response to immigration enforcement activity near their campuses.
Broader Implications for Public Education Systems
Attorneys representing the school districts argue that the policy change undermines decades of precedent protecting schools as safe spaces for students. While earlier legal challenges were brought by parents and advocacy groups, this Minnesota case represents one of the first lawsuits filed directly by school districts following what has been described as a nationwide surge in enforcement activities.
The case could have significant national implications for how immigration enforcement policies intersect with public education systems, potentially setting precedents for how schools are protected from enforcement activities that disrupt educational environments. DHS has maintained that immigration enforcement activity at schools would be "extremely rare," but multiple incidents have surfaced in recent months through lawsuits and local accounts.
