Tue Feb 18 06:41:53 UTC 2025: ## Trump’s Immigration Policies Fuel School Anxiety and Attendance Drop Across US
**Denver, CO – February 18, 2025** – President Trump’s immigration policies are causing widespread anxiety and impacting school attendance across the United States, affecting both documented and undocumented families. Fear stemming from real and rumored immigration raids has led to decreased attendance, particularly in districts with large immigrant populations.
In Denver, a lawsuit filed by Denver Public Schools alleges that a real immigration raid near a school caused a significant drop in student attendance. The district cites interference with education as a consequence of the Trump administration’s policies, noting that the city welcomed 43,000 migrants last year, many of whom are now students.
Similar anxieties are reported in Fresno, California, where numerous hoax social media posts about imminent raids at schools sparked widespread panic among parents. In Alice, Texas, misinformation spread by school officials regarding Border Patrol checks on school buses further fueled fear.
Angelib Hernandez, an asylum seeker in Aurora, Colorado, exemplifies the widespread concern. Fearing detention and family separation, she stopped sending her children to school altogether. This fear is not isolated; many families are struggling to discern fact from rumor amidst conflicting information and heightened anxieties.
The impact extends beyond attendance. Studies in North Carolina and California show that even native-born Hispanic students experience decreased attendance and lower test scores when local police participate in immigration enforcement programs.
Conservatives in states like Oklahoma and Tennessee are pushing for policies that would further restrict access to education for undocumented children and children of undocumented parents, despite a four-decade-old precedent protecting their right to education. Oklahoma’s proposed rule requiring proof of citizenship was vetoed by the governor, while Tennessee lawmakers introduced a bill allowing school districts to decide on student admission based on immigration status.
The consequences are far-reaching. Fwd.us estimates that 600,000 K-12 students lack legal status, and nearly 4 million have at least one parent living in the country illegally. School districts are grappling with the emotional and logistical challenges, providing resources to alleviate anxiety and support affected families, but these efforts divert resources away from core educational missions. The long-term academic and social repercussions of this widespread anxiety remain a significant concern.
First Piper 