In Minneapolis, immigration raids carried out by U.S. authorities have resulted in a dramatic decline in school attendance, with nearly half of the seats in some public schools going unfilled. This steep drop is attributed to heightened fears among students and their families regarding possible arrests or deportations. Many families are now avoiding school environments where they fear that members could be detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. Reports indicate that attendance at one independent public high school plummeted from around 800 students regularly attending to fewer than 400 within just a few weeks of the raids.

The atmosphere around schools has shifted dramatically, resembling a daily security checkpoint as school officials take protective measures. They arrive an hour before classes, equipped with reflective vests and communication devices to monitor for any potential ICE activities nearby. In a bid to protect their students, schools have also covered the windows with colored paper to obscure the interior from outside view and have issued notices prohibiting any federal law enforcement from entering school premises without a valid court order or written authorization from school administration.

These developments occur within the context of broader immigration enforcement actions, provoking protests and bringing attention to the challenges faced by immigrant communities in the U.S. The combination of these raids and community responses highlights the tensions that immigration policies have created, impacting not just the individuals targeted but also their families and the broader educational environment in which they operate.