Chapel Hill-Carrboro, Orange County schools support immigrant families. What they said.
Chapel Hill-Carrboro and Orange County schools don’t track student immigration status and are ready to support staff and families worried about federal raids, both districts said in statements issued this week.
The statements were issued as federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are arresting people who may be in the country illegally and deporting them on military flights in what President Donald Trump called “the largest deportation operation in history.”
The Department of Homeland Security also has rescinded a 2011 policy that prevents ICE arrests and raids in “sensitive” locations, such as schools, hospitals and churches.
The roughly 11,000-student Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools recognizes “the immense courage it takes for many families to send their children to school” and is “united in support of all our students and their families, regardless of immigration status,” Superintendent Nyah Hamlett and school board Chair George Griffin and Vice Chair Riza Jenkins said.
CHCCS families who need support or help can reach out to their school or the district office and be connected with local resources and groups, district officials said in Wednesday’s statement.
“While here in our care, students will continue to be supported academically, socially and emotionally,” the statement said. “To our families, we are here to support you as well. If you have concerns or need assistance, please reach out in confidence to your school principal, school counselor, social worker, mental health specialist or other trusted adult.”
Orange County Schools board Chair Anne Purcell issued a similar statement Monday on behalf of the school board, saying “each child in North Carolina has the right to a free and public education in a safe environment according to our NC State Constitution.”
Orange County Superintendent Danielle Jones and the board have met with attorneys to learn how the district can help families, and school personnel have also been advised what to do if someone arrives at a school asking for information about a family or student or asking to speak with any of their nearly 7,000 students, the statement said.
Other staff, including the district’s family liaisons, are also being trained on how to respond, Purcell said. A district statement released to parents said school officials will consult with an attorney first if law enforcement tries to get access to a school.
“The safety and well-being of our students are top priority for this board and the district,” she said. “Ongoing and continuing discussions around concerns and any changes will be done to make certain of student, family, and staff well-being during these uncertain times.”
Wake County also issued a statement to its staff and families this week offering guidance for how to respond if immigration officials show up at local schools. Principals have been told they can deny access to ICE agents who don’t have a federal warrant or court order, if there is no immediate threat to public safety.
Students are entitled to a public school education regardless of immigration status because of a 1982 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in Plyler vs. Doe. Orange County and Chapel Hill-Carrboro do not ask about a student’s immigration status or include that information in student records, their spokespeople said.
Federal and state laws, including the federal Family Education Rights and Privacy Act, or FERPA, also protect the privacy of student records.
This story was originally published January 30, 2025 at 10:03 AM with the headline "Chapel Hill-Carrboro, Orange County schools support immigrant families. What they said.."
