NEA to ICE: End traumatization of students and the occupation of our communities

WASHINGTON-Becky Pringle, president of the nation's largest labor union, the National Education Association, today doubled down on her call for ICE and other federal enforcement officers to stay out of public schools, hospitals, and places of worship. She warned that ICE's recent actions in Minneapolis cross a dangerous line, traumatizing students, sabotaging communities, and undermining the basic promise that schools are safe places to learn.

The actions of the Trump administration and federal agents in Minneapolis and in cities across the country have unleashed terror in our communities. They represent a dangerous escalation of authoritarian tactics that further threaten Americans' lives, our civil liberties and are fundamentally un-American. Americans watched in horror as masked, heavily armed federal agents shot and murdered Renee Good, a mother of three, in Minneapolis-an act that ignited national outrage and shocked the conscience of people across the country. And just a few miles away, federal agents assaulted and pepper-sprayed high school students on school grounds.

The Trump administration is now threatening to invoke the Insurrection Act and unleash the military in Minneapolis, in an escalation of federal force against those exercising their First Amendment rights, as well as additional communities across the Twin Cities. This is straight out of the authoritarian playbook. What we are witnessing is a federal occupation of a major American city-and it is not isolated. It is a warning to the entire country.  

The following statement can be attributed to NEA President Becky Pringle:

"All students, regardless of race, background, or ZIP code, deserve to feel safe and welcomed at school, with the respect and security they need to learn and thrive. Schools and communities must be places of learning and belonging, safe for all. ICE does not belong inour schools or communities.

"What ICE causes is fear and trauma. Students and educators are afraid fortheir own safety. They're afraid fortheir families, friends, and neighbors. Educators see the damage every day in empty seats and a rising need for counseling and mental health support as students struggle to cope with fear and uncertainty. In some cases, ICE has assaulted and detained educators and students-on school grounds. We know that students cannot learn when they are living under threat, processing violence, or watching armed federal agents terrorizetheir neighborhoods.

"This is why we cannot and will not be silent. As educators, we have a moral and professional responsibility to keep all students safe, no matter where they were born or who they are, both in school and in their communities. We stand firmly with parents, neighbors, and faith leaders in Minneapolis and beyond to defend our schools and protect our students.

"We demand that ICE immediately end its occupation, withdraw from our communities, and stay far away from schools, hospitals, and places of worship. Federal terror has no place in public education or in a democracy.

"This moment requires moral clarity and courage-because this is not just an immigration issue. It is a human rights issue, a civil rights issue, and a democracy issue. It is about whether the promise of justice and liberty applies to everyone equally, and whether the values we teach our students about freedom and democracy hold up in the world they are growing up in.

"We call on elected leaders at every level to act now. Protect students. Keep ICE and other federal agents out of schools, hospitals, and places of worship. Protect our students!"

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The National Education Association is the nation's largest professional employeeorganization, representing more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, students preparing to become teachers, healthcare workers, and public employees. Learn more at www.nea.org