Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations have turned daily life into a source of terror for schoolchildren in Minneapolis, with students hiding from agents and experiencing panic attacks, according to teachers and parents. In one instance, a special education student attended online class from a basement while agents banged on the door. In another, a second-grader suffered a panic attack during art class after his father was arrested.
President Donald Trump’s administration has deployed 3,000 federal agents across the region, carrying out arrests at school bus stops, during commutes, and at grocery stores. The operations have disrupted schooling, with attendance plummeting and many immigrant families too frightened to leave their homes. One mother reported that her son’s second-grade class had only seven pupils the previous day.
The detention of preschooler Liam Ramos and his father, who were taken from their home and flown to a Texas detention centre, has become a symbol of the crackdown. Ramos was one of four students from his school district detained in recent weeks. Teachers say the atmosphere has caused generational trauma, with children showing signs of stress such as bed-wetting, crying, and falling asleep in class. The district has reintroduced virtual learning for those who cannot attend in person, but specialist classes like art and PE lack remote options.
Teachers report a de facto segregation, with brown students largely staying home while others attend school. The constant fear has led some children to carry whistles to alert others of ICE agents, and parents are in hiding, avoiding even short walks to bus stops. The psychological toll is expected to last for decades.
