Federal officials are allaying concerns unauthorized immigrant schoolchildren could be picked up for deportation, while Taylor ISD officials confirm they do not keep track of pupils’ citizenship status.
The worries surfaced last week after a South Texas school official warned that students in violation of U.S. immigration laws could be taken into custody on field trips and kicked out of the country, a claim denied by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Taylor Independent School District Superintendent Jennifer Garcia-Edwardsen offered reassurances to parents in a notice Jan. 29.
“We are here to provide support, resources and ensure that every family feels a part of our school community,” she said in an email. “In Taylor ISD, all children and their families are valued, and we will continue to focus on our mission to Inspire, Equip and Empower Every Student to Achieve Their Unique Potential.”
Garcia-Edwardsen also noted Taylor ISD doesn’t collect or maintain records of a student’s immigration status.
On Feb. 7, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Chief Michael W. Banks posted a video on X to dispel any talk of pupils being swept up by federal agents.
“As chief of the United States Border Patrol, I want to take a moment to address reports that USBP agents are targeting schools, churches and school buses,” he said. “The USBP has a long history of defending our country and our borders. Let me be very clear. USBP agents do not target schools, school buses or churches.” Fears about such occurrences were stoked Feb. 5 when Alice Independent School District Superintendent Anysia Trevino warned families in a district Facebook post that if students left the area on a field trip, agents might board school buses at highway checkpoints and students without documentation could be detained and potentially deported.
Trevino walked back those statements the following day in a letter to families where she explained that student safety was the only motivation behind the notification and that the district sent it out proactively “to allow parents to make informed decisions regarding their students.”
Trevino continued that, “It is our understanding that key members of the U.S. Border Patrol have indicated that school buses and children will not be targeted.”
Due to concerns about the stepped-up enforcement under President Donald Trump, several area education systems including the nearby Austin Independent School District have clarified policies on immigration status, mainly reiterating they do not keep such records.
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“In Taylor ISD, all children and their families are valued.”
— Jennifer Garcia-Edwardsen, superintendent
