Colorado school district sues Homeland Security over ICE policy changes

The Denver Public Schools district filed a federal lawsuit on Wednesday against the Department of Homeland Security after the department rolled back the longstanding policy that protected schools, churches and hospitals from immigration raids. The agency took the action in response to President Donald Trump’s executive order to remove illegal migrants from the United States.

The district sued after several immigration arrests took place in neighborhoods surrounding some schools last week, District Superintendent Alex Marrero wrote in a Wednesday statement. The policy change triggered a decrease in student attendance, according to the lawsuit. The district was also forced to reroute time and resources to educate teachers and administrators how to adjust and function under the new policy, the filing added. The fU.S. Constitution requires schools to educate students regardless of the immigration status of themselves or their families, Marrero added.

What exactly is the district seeking? Unlike other lawsuits filed in the wake of Trump’s sweeping executive orders, the lawsuit is not targeting the executive order on immigration, but rather how that order is implemented. The district petitioned the judge to stop homeland security’s new policy from going into effect as it pertains to schools, according to the lawsuit. The complaint specifically asked to keep ICE officers from operating on or near school grounds. The new policy has threatened the stability of the largest school district in Colorado, the lawsuit alleged, citing unpredictable attendance resulting in an inability for the school to maintain accurate financial planning for the future. Nearly 30 religious groups filed a similar action on Tuesday to protect houses of worship from ICE raids.

Has the government said anything about the policy change? DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin described the policy change as a means of protecting sensitive areas, according to a Tuesday statement to WORLD. Letting ICE agents operate in schools and churches guarantees that criminals and illegal migrants won’t abuse those spaces as safe havens, she said. The policy simply lets law enforcement do their jobs, she added.

Dig deeper: Read Josh Schumacher’s report on the similar lawsuit from religious organizations earlier this week.