Education Minnesota wins NEA Human and Civil Rights Award for defending students and families during ICE surge
Education Minnesota wins NEA Human and Civil Rights Award for defending students and families during ICE surge.
At the 2026 National Education Association Representative Assembly, the NEA presented Education Minnesota with the President’s Award for Human and Civil Rights for its work defending students and families during Operation Metro Surge. This 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.”
NEA President Becky Pringle presented the award to President Byron during the NEA Human and Civil Rights Awards dinner in Denver on July 3.
