ICE detained a parent dropping his kids off at our school. We need action. | Opinion
Every morning, I walk my oldest two children to school, Charlotte East Language Academy. It’s a lovely way to start the day. We get our bodies moving, our blood flowing and often pause to enjoy small moments in nature. These change with the seasons. Lately, we’ve been inspecting caterpillars, tasting honeysuckle and checking on the nest in the tree by the bus lot. Yesterday was drizzly, so there was plenty of puddle stomping. I greeted the teachers on car-rider duty, hugged my kids, and watched them eagerly hustle into the building.
But just half a mile up the road, right near the only access point to the school, my children’s classmate had a very different experience heading to school. On the way, their family was pulled over by an unmarked SUV. Minutes later, as I sat down at my desk, my phone lit up with group chat messages. There were frantic questions, shaky videos, reports of what people saw or heard.
I don’t know all the details of the detainment. But here’s what I do know. There were kids in the car. They were heading to school. The father, who was detained, was the family’s primary financial provider. The family is now facing a profound disruption and painful separation, and our school community is reeling.
This isn’t a debate about whether tearing families apart and traumatizing children on their way to school is cruel. If that’s still up for discussion, I don’t have the energy to engage.
What I’m calling for is action from leadership of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools — in words and deeds.
Let’s start with the words. So far, there have been none beyond the school level. No formal statements, as of writing this, no acknowledgment or reassurances from the Board of Education or CMS executive leadership.
Families deserve transparency and communication. Yesterday’s ICE activity left many fearful. District leaders must publicly acknowledge and condemn the incident near school grounds and clearly outline the steps they’re taking to support students moving forward.
Now for the action. Our school community has come together to support this particular family, but what about the next? What broader systems are in place for others facing similar trauma? What tools do the teachers and administrators have to respond effectively?
As a former CMS teacher, I’ve heard from colleagues in schools with large immigrant populations who are frustrated by the lack of resources, training and guidance. A two-page Educational Rights and Educator guide and high-level bullet points about keeping student information confidential aren’t enough. It’s a start, I suppose, but how are we equipping educators to support students anxious about ICE activity in their neighborhoods — or right up the street from their school?
According to the Center for Educational Improvement, “Children who have seen family members, neighbors, and community leaders detained by ICE demonstrate visible signs of trauma.”
What about the staff members tasked with telling a student that their parent has been detained? Who’s supporting them as they support students in crisis?
The district could start by creating clear response plans for schools: What roles need to be assigned? Who should be involved? What’s the communication plan? What community resources are available?
Organizations like NCAE, LatinxEd, and UndocuCarolina have already done some of this work. The resources exist. So why are teachers still being left to figure it out on their own? Why hasn’t the district established formal partnerships to connect families and staff with these supports?
It’s tempting to point fingers at the big systems — ICE, CMS — and move on. One is actively disrupting school communities; the other isn’t doing enough to respond to that disruption. These institutions often feel faceless and beyond reach. In moments of crisis, their bigness can swallow up individual responsibility. Everyone reports to someone else, all the way up to the president.
But kids don’t live in systems. They live in communities.
And really, what we want is simple: a school day that begins with students eagerly hustling through the front doors, ready to learn.
I long for the day when a child’s biggest concern on the way to school is whether the bird eggs in the tree by the bus lot have finally hatched. But that day won’t come on its own. We must build toward it now.
This story was originally published May 13, 2025 at 11:30 AM.