School districts and educators file lawsuit to block federal immigration enforcement near Minnesota schools
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ST. PAUL, Minnesota., Feb. 4, 2026 — A coalition of Minnesota school districts and educators filed a federal lawsuit today in U.S. District Court seeking to block the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from conducting immigration enforcement activity on or near public schools, arguing that recent federal actions have disrupted education, endangered students and driven families away from classrooms. The plaintiffs include Education Minnesota, Duluth Public Schools (ISD 709), and Fridley Public Schools (ISD 14).
Plaintiffs will discuss the lawsuit at a press conference at 3 p.m. CST today in the Capitol Press Room, B971, at the Minnesota State Capitol. The event will be streamed to Education Minnesota’s Facebook page.
The lawsuit challenges a shift in federal immigration policy that removed long-standing protections limiting enforcement activity in “sensitive locations,” such as schools, and alleges that since December 2025, immigration enforcement activity associated with a federal initiative known as Operation Metro Surge has expanded rapidly across Minnesota, including in and around public schools. Plaintiffs allege that since that change, federal agents have carried out enforcement operations in and around school zones across Minnesota, triggering fear among students and families and forcing districts to close schools, cancel activities or shift to remote learning.
Attendance in several Minnesota school districts dropped sharply in early January amid heightened federal enforcement activity, with some districts reporting attendance declines of nearly one-third within weeks. In some districts, large portions of multilingual student populations were absent, while others reported attendance falling below half. Plaintiffs argue that the threat of enforcement near schools has created a chilling effect that extends beyond immigrant families, affecting entire school communities and undermining access to public education.
Plaintiffs are represented by Zimmerman Reed LLP, Nilan Johnson Lewis PA, The Law Office of Kevin C. Riach, and Democracy Forward – a national legal organization focused on defending the rule of law.
“For decades, administrations of both parties recognized that schools are different — places where children learn, where families gather and where fear has no place,” said June Hoidal, an attorney for the plaintiffs with Zimmerman Reed LLP. “When enforcement moves into school zones, the harm isn’t theoretical. Attendance drops, instruction stops and school communities lose the stability public education depends on. Districts across the country are watching how courts draw the line around spaces dedicated to children.”
The lawsuit names DHS and several of its component agencies and officials, including ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, as defendants. Plaintiffs are seeking declaratory and injunctive relief barring federal immigration enforcement activity on or near school property and school transportation routes, absent extraordinary circumstances.
The complaint also notes that DHS has publicly stated that it does not conduct immigration enforcement operations at schools, a claim plaintiffs allege is contradicted by the incidents documented in the filing.
“Students can’t learn, and educators can’t teach, when there are armed, masked federal agents stationed within view of classroom windows, sometimes for days on end,” said Monica Byron, the president of Education Minnesota, the labor union of more than 84,000 Minnesota educators. “ICE and Border Patrol need to stay away from our schools so students can go there safely each day to learn without fear, and so that our members can focus on teaching instead of constantly reacting to the shocking and unconstitutional actions of federal agents.”
“The removal of long-standing protections around schools has had immediate and real consequences for our learning community,” said John Magas, superintendent of Duluth Public Schools. “We’ve seen increased anxiety among students, disruptions to attendance, and families questioning whether school remains a safe and predictable place for their children. Schools function best when families trust that education can happen without fear, and that stability has been undermined.”
Superintendent Brenda Lewis of the Fridley Public Schools said: “As superintendent, my responsibility is the safety, dignity, and education of every child entrusted to our schools. When immigration enforcement activity occurs near schools, it undermines trust and creates fear that directly interferes with students’ ability to learn and feel safe. Schools depend on stability, and that stability has been disrupted.”
The complaint describes multiple incidents in which federal agents allegedly appeared near school buildings, bus stops and dismissal areas, prompting school closures, canceled activities and widespread anxiety among students and educators. Plaintiffs allege that these actions violate federal administrative law and constitutional protections, and that DHS failed to adequately consider the educational and community impacts when it rescinded prior guidance limiting enforcement in sensitive locations.
“No family should have to choose between keeping a child home from school and risking a traumatic encounter with armed federal agents,” said Amanda Cialkowski, counsel for the plaintiffs with Nilan Johnson Lewis PA. “Public education depends on trust and stability. Once that is undermined, the damage is immediate and difficult to reverse.”
“The decision to abandon long-standing protections for schools has injected fear into classrooms and thrown school communities into chaos,” said Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward. “We are in court because children should never have to look over their shoulders at school or worry that their loved ones could be taken away at the schoolhouse gate, and because the government cannot undermine decades of settled policy without regard for students, educators, or the law.”
The case asks the court to address whether the Department of Homeland Security unlawfully rescinded decades of established policy without required public process or an appropriate and reasoned decision-making process in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act.
The case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota.
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.
