Education Minnesota wins national award for defending students and families during ICE surge
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CHRIS WILLIAMS
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ST. PAUL, Minnesota, June 24, 2026 — The National Education Association has selected Education Minnesota as the winner of the 2026 NEA President’s Award for Human and Civil Rights, recognizing the union’s advocacy on behalf of immigrant students and families during federal immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota.
The award will be presented July 3 at the NEA Human and Civil Rights Awards Dinner in Denver.
NEA President Becky Pringle notified Education Minnesota President Monica Byron of the selection in a letter citing the union’s response to Operation Metro Surge, the federal enforcement operation that began in the Twin Cities in December 2025 and spread statewide in early 2026.
“Education Minnesota’s mobilization and fierce advocacy to protect the most vulnerable in your community will impact American society and public education for decades to come,” Pringle wrote.
The NEA President’s Award is given on a special case-by-case basis to an individual or organization that promotes racial and social justice and advocates for marginalized communities. According to NEA, Education Minnesota was selected for actions that included organizing safety patrols near schools; providing transportation, food and clothing to affected families; expanding virtual learning for students unable to attend in person; and leading a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security seeking to block immigration enforcement at or near public schools.
“This award belongs to every Education Minnesota member who stood with immigrant and BIPOC students and families when it mattered most,” said Monica Byron, president of Education Minnesota. “When federal agents came into our communities, our members organized, they showed up and they refused to look away. That is what educators do. That is what this union does. We are grateful to President Pringle and the NEA for seeing what Minnesota educators did, and for recognizing that defending the dignity and safety of students is inseparable from the work of educating.”
Education Minnesota joins a group of 2026 honorees that includes organizations and individuals recognized for work on behalf of immigrant, Indigenous, LGBTQ+ and other communities. More information on the NEA Human and Civil Rights Awards is available at nea.org/hcrawards.
About Education Minnesota
Education Minnesota is the voice for professional educators and students. Education Minnesota’s members include teachers and education support professionals in Minnesota’s public school districts, faculty members at Minnesota’s community and technical colleges and University of Minnesota campuses in Duluth and Crookston, retired educators and student teachers. Education Minnesota is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, National Education Association and AFL-CIO.
