The Colonial School District released a statement on February 6th regarding how the district is responding to the change in immigration enforcement that once made schools off-limits. The change came as a result of an Executive Order issued by President Donald Trump.

From the Colonial School District:

As you may be aware, a policy that once protected schools from immigration enforcement was rescinded on Jan. 20, 2025. This change has led to uncertainty over how school districts should respond if agents from the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) visit schools.

We are hopeful that the sanctity of our schools will be protected and respected, and as a District, we remain committed to ensuring our buildings are safe places for students to learn and grow.

As part of that commitment, we are actively working with our solicitor and other school districts to understand how this change in policy affects public schools and what school representatives are required to do by law if visited by ICE.

We will pay close attention to evolving guidance and are putting plans in place, even though we believe any visits from ICE are unlikely. We are consulting with legal counsel to ensure that we are compliant with the law but also sensitive to the needs of our students, faculty, staff, and families.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania and the Education Law Center sent a letter of legal guidance to Pennsylvania’s public school superintendents and charter school CEOs regarding interacting with ICE. The letter explained the differences between a judicial and administrative warrant. According to the letter, ICE often uses administrative warrants, which do not legally require that its officers be given access to a location.

“Everyone, including school administrators, parents and students, need to understand that President Trump’s Executive Orders or agency directives do not, and cannot, override Constitutional rights or federal anti-discrimination and privacy statutes,” said Witold Walczak, legal director of the ACLU of Pennsylvania.