Shortly after the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis mother, educators at Roosevelt High School, located roughly three miles from the incident, were gathered to discuss potential effects on their students when federal agents appeared on campus.
“The majority of staff members stood up and rushed outdoors, where we encountered a chaotic, noisy situation with numerous vehicles, many agents, and several community members,” a school teacher tells TIME.
The agents were chasing a woman in a pickup truck who had no connection to the school when the pursuit concluded on school grounds. Amid the ensuing disorder, federal agents used pepper spray on protesters and took a school employee into custody.
A week afterward, ICE agents apprehended a parent at a bus stop for another school in a Minneapolis suburb, according to a communication from the Robbinsdale Area Schools superintendent.
These events, just two of numerous comparable occurrences nationwide, demonstrate that schools have not been spared from the intense conflicts that have broken out across the country due to President Donald Trump’s large-scale deportation initiative.
Over 3,000 federal agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection have been deployed to Minneapolis and St. Paul in recent weeks as part of an immigration enforcement operation. Demonstrations against this operation, and against the shooting of 37-year-old Good, have extended into local businesses and schools.
In reaction, Minneapolis Public Schools is now providing remote learning alternatives through February 12, and has expressed its dedication to “maintaining a safe and welcoming learning environment for all of our students.”
“No one knows how to manage school right now,” says the Roosevelt teacher, who requested anonymity as they lack authorization to speak publicly.
Teaching in a crisis
The teacher depicted a situation of disorder and bewilderment when federal agents arrived at the school that day.
Approximately 10 to 12 students were on campus, according to the teacher. Several staff members guided them back inside the building, while some students fled to the public library across the street before the federal agents departed.
The teacher stated that as soon as they witnessed the events unfolding, numerous individuals, including the assistant principal, began phoning local law enforcement, but officers never showed up.
“This incident persisted for approximately 35 minutes. Law enforcement had gotten multiple reports about what was occurring, yet they never responded to the school, they never came at all,” the teacher says.
The school security employee was freed later that same day.
“I believe local authorities, local police, either feel they lack jurisdiction or are uncertain about how to respond when federal agents are present in the area,” the teacher added.
TIME has contacted the mayor’s office and the Minneapolis Police Department seeking comment.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) informed local television station KARE that they were pursuing a U.S. citizen who was “actively attempting to obstruct operations,” stating, “At no time was a school, its students, or its staff the target, and agents would not have been in this vicinity were it not for this person’s hazardous behavior.”
‘It’s very scary’
According to the teacher, the Roosevelt High School incident motivated students and parents to coordinate efforts to safeguard one another.
“Many parents of white students or families less affected by these ICE operations have become highly active in monitoring the school perimeter and organizing transportation for students who feel unsafe using public transit,” the teacher says, noting that families directly impacted by the ICE operations have been reaching out to teachers and staff to request various forms of assistance, ranging from school supplies to help with rent and food deliveries.
Yet within the school building, educators confront the difficulty of preserving a sense of routine while still recognizing the events occurring beyond the classroom walls.
“I believe teachers are struggling to find equilibrium: how much curriculum should we cover? How much should we discuss current events? How much should we give students space to concentrate on academics while also showing compassion for those worried about their families’ safety, their own security, and concerns about housing or food instability,” the teacher says.
Numerous students are opting to remain at home. The teacher reports that approximately one-quarter of his class is engaging in remote learning.
Although educators have latitude in how they distribute assignments and conduct lessons, there is no direction on how to instruct during a crisis situation.
“When our school closed due to COVID, it was like, well, there’s this unpredictable situation, and we’re following government directives. When the government itself is responsible for this, it’s extremely frightening. It’s profoundly isolating,” he says.
