Will Border Patrol hurt CMS school attendance? Some teachers, advocates say ‘yes’

Parents, teachers and advocates say they’re concerned the presence of federal Border Patrol agents in Charlotte will decrease school attendance, as families fear encountering agents on the way to and from school.

U.S. Border Patrol agents began operations in Charlotte over the weekend after Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden confirmed Thursday that they would be arriving in Charlotte as soon as Saturday, after being stationed in Chicago since early September. And Greg Bovino, the Border Patrol official who’s expected to lead Charlotte operations, posted a message on X, formerly Twitter, confirming a move into the Queen City.

While agents were active in Chicago, attendance in the city’s schools dropped by 1.25 percentage points — more than double the attendance drop during the first two months of the previous two school years, according to data from Chalkbeat.

With Border Patrol in Charlotte, many are worried the same could happen here.

“We know that there are going to be many families that don’t send their kids to school for weeks or for days because of everything,” Daniela Andrade, communication lead for immigrant advocacy group Carolina Migrant Network, told The Charlotte Observer. “We know for sure that this will dramatically change and impact Charlotte families, many of whom grew up here, have been here for years, contributed to the city, have created a big part of the city.”

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board Member Liz Monterrey Duvall is the daughter of immigrants and signed a statement of support for Charlotte’s immigrant communities Wednesday, alongside other city leaders.

She later provided a statement to The Observer about her decision to do so.

“Sheriff McFadden’s confirmation that federal border patrol agents are descending upon Charlotte was upsetting – for me as a child of a family who came from Cuba, as well as students and families who have likewise emigrated from other countries,” Monterrey Duvall said. “I therefore joined other Latino public officials in issuing a letter of support to empower families who arrived here to seek a better life. The purpose of the letter was to tell all of our constituents and undocumented families that we see you, care for you, and support you.

“We are navigating some very challenging times, but community members who value the contributions of all residents of the county will continue to advocate for what is right. Our law-abiding families deserve nothing less.”

Monterrey Duvall also joined a news conference Friday morning, reiterating her support for Charlotte’s immigrant communities.

“CMS is for all students,” she said during her remarks in Spanish. “It’s the law!”

The North Carolina and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Association of Educations on Saturday issued a joint statement saying, “we refuse to let fear define our city.”

“Reports of a Border Patrol and ICE deployment to Charlotte have already created fear and uncertainty for public school families, and we want to say clearly: our city will not be intimidated,” The organizations said in their statement. “Our schools, our neighborhoods, and our communities deserve safety, stability, and dignity — not fear. We commit to building a Black, Brown and white working-class coalition that stands shoulder-to-shoulder to protect our public school families and defend the community.”

CMS has outlined protocols for staff in the event Border Patrol or Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents come onto a CMS campus, including requiring a valid and verified warrant or subpoena to access any student information or question any student.

But, teachers are still worried about the presence of Border Patrol affecting attendance and students’ mental well-being, one CMS educator from northern Mecklenburg County told The Observer. He requested anonymity for fear of retaliation.

Meanwhile, one CMS parent said families’ main fears aren’t about what happens inside the school walls, but instead about being harassed or detained on the way to school. One CMS father was detained by ICE agents near the drop-off line for Charlotte East Language Academy in May.

The parent requested anonymity in order to avoid bringing attention to her child’s school, which she said has a high immigrant student population.

She and other parents have organized rotating drop-off line shifts in which parents will stand guard outside campus while children are dropped off and picked up and alert others of any suspected immigration enforcement activities near campus. She said parents are also organizing carpools to take kids to and from school, to avoid parents or students being confronted by immigration officers at bus stops.

CMS leadership has not clarified under what circumstances, if any, it will alert parents about immigration enforcement activities near one of its schools.

This story was originally published November 15, 2025 at 8:55 AM.

Rebecca Noel

The Charlotte Observer

Rebecca Noel reports on education for The Charlotte Observer. She’s a native of Houston, Texas, and graduated from Rice University. She later received a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri. When she’s not reporting, she enjoys reading, running and frequenting coffee shops around Charlotte.