Chicago Public Schools (CPS) has implemented a policy allowing students to receive excused absences if they or their families express concerns about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in the city.
This policy is outlined in a document titled Attendance Coding for Safety Concerns Related to Federal Representative Activity, which permits parents to cite fear of federal immigration authorities as a valid reason to excuse their children from school.
According to Western Journal, this document was obtained by Defending Education and reported by Fox News. The policy states, If a parent/guardian reports an absence and attributes it to fear of federal representative-related procedures, schools CAN excuse the absence under concern for student health and safety.
Furthermore, the policy specifies that in the memo box, the phrase concern for student health and safety should be recorded. Notably, the policy does not impose a time limit on these excused absences, potentially allowing students to remain absent indefinitely due to alleged fears of ICE raids.
The policy also accommodates situations where parents are directly affected by federal immigration procedures, permitting a designated guardian to notify the school of the need for an excused absence. Kendall Tietz, an investigative reporter at Defending Education, criticized the policy, stating, Chicago Public Schools is effectively telling families that fear of federal law enforcement is a standing excuse to keep children out of class with no time limit and no paper trail.
Tietz further argued, CPS should not be turning attendance policy into a sanctuary immigration tool. Instead, public schools should be focused on getting kids to school and keeping accurate records, not quietly encouraging truancy and obstructing cooperation with federal authorities. She emphasized that the policy undermines both student learning and the rule of law.
In recent years, Chicago Public Schools has experienced a significant increase in student enrollment, attributed to the arrival of more migrants in the city. Chalkbeat reported in early 2024 that over 5,700 new immigrant students had enrolled since the beginning of the school year.
Pedro Martinez, CEO of Chicago Public Schools, acknowledged the efforts of school communities, stating, Our principals and teachers and school communities have been incredibly welcoming to the students and their families. However, the data released by CPS did not clarify the proportion of students residing in city shelters or coming from migrant families.
The policy raises questions about the balance between accommodating the needs of immigrant families and maintaining the integrity of educational attendance records. While the intention may be to provide a sense of security for families concerned about federal immigration actions, critics argue that it could inadvertently encourage absenteeism and hinder cooperation with federal authorities.
As the debate continues, the focus remains on ensuring that all students have access to education while respecting the rule of law.
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