Minneapolis families can choose remote learning for next month amid safety concerns after ICE shooting

Officials announced Friday that Minneapolis schools will provide families with a remote learning option for one month, addressing worries that children may feel insecure about going out in a city experiencing heightened tensions over .

According to the temporary arrangement, educators will concurrently teach students physically present in classrooms and those learning from home, mirroring the approach many used during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Parents and teachers report that immigration enforcement actions across American cities have caused attendance to drop. While advocates in other cities experiencing federal interventions have pushed for remote learning alternatives, especially for that might feel vulnerable, Minneapolis seems to be among the limited number of districts bringing back virtual learning.

A Minneapolis school administrator wrote in a Thursday evening email to staff: “This addresses a critical need for our students who currently cannot attend school in person.”

Communications from administrators to staff reveal that the decision to provide remote learning was not made hastily. The messages mention extensive meetings that included school principals and the teachers union, recognizing the logistical challenges of implementing virtual instruction. Given the severe academic and emotional impact had during the pandemic, some view this measure as a final option.

The priority of maintaining student engagement in education seemingly won out.

In one email obtained by The Associated Press, the school administrator stated: “This will ensure their safety while helping them stay current with their assignments. It will also enable them to be marked as present, preventing numerous dropouts next week.”

Schools see remote learning as a way to help in stressful times

The fact that Minneapolis, a district serving nearly 30,000 students, would voluntarily reinstate remote learning indicates an unprecedented level of anxiety following intense federal scrutiny and conflict. The situation includes President Donald Trump’s verbal assaults on the local Somali community, a promise to deploy 2,000 federal immigration officers, and a federal agent’s fatal shooting of , a mother of three and U.S. citizen, on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, the same day as the shooting, immigration enforcement officers apprehended an individual outside Roosevelt High School near dismissal time, sparking confrontations with onlookers. According to the Minneapolis Federation of Educators, agents used tear gas and temporarily detained a teacher before releasing them.

The union declared: “We will not accept ICE preventing our city’s young people from exercising their constitutional right to safely attend school or obstructing teachers from performing their duties.”

Federal authorities stated that agents were chasing a U.S. citizen who had crashed into a Border Patrol vehicle, leading to a 5-mile (8-kilometer) pursuit that concluded outside the school. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino, who is in Minneapolis this week, posted on social media that demonstrators attacked agents and that four people were arrested in total.

School campuses were previously considered off-limits for immigration arrests, but Trump early in his second term.

“ICE’s intensified presence in our community has created an environment where individuals fear traveling to and from school,” stated Natasha Dockter, first vice president of the local union for Minneapolis public school teachers. “We’ve heard from our members and families, and we wanted to push for a remote learning alternative.”

Boisey Corvah, a 15-year-old sophomore at South High School, noted that students have been circulating social media videos of both the shooting and the Roosevelt High incident. He expressed particular concern for his Latino friends, citing potential confrontations with immigration enforcement and the mental health toll of the crackdown.

“They’ll likely have to head directly home and won’t be able to spend time with friends,” he remarked.

Other districts have considered offering virtual options

This autumn, Chicago school board members advocated for a remote learning choice during federal intervention in that city, though Chicago Public Schools has declined to provide it. Last year, New York state permitted districts to offer virtual education to students fearful of Trump’s immigration enforcement, though the number of districts that actually implemented this remains unclear.

Some school districts have expressed concern that they are typically barred from inquiring about families’ immigration status. Providing virtual learning for students anxious about immigration enforcement could inadvertently reveal that someone in their household is undocumented.

To address this issue, advocates have encouraged districts to make the option available to all students, rather than limiting it to those from immigrant families.

“We hope and recommend that districts provide flexible alternatives for all students. Education doesn’t have to occur exclusively in the classroom,” said Viridiana Carrizales, CEO of ImmSchools, a Texas organization that advises school districts on immigrant student policies.

Carrizales noted that she is collaborating with districts in New Jersey, New York, and Texas to assist anxious parents who are keeping their children out of school or removing them entirely.

She said the conversations have become more urgent in the past few weeks because school districts are .

Certain districts with existing virtual programs have experienced increased demand since Trump resumed office. In the suburb of Hillsboro, the school district has made additional enrollment spots available at its online academy, according to district spokesperson Beth Graser.

The Minnesota Department of Education stated Thursday that districts and charter schools may offer remote learning alternatives for enrolled students.

“Plans for online instruction must consider how to address the needs of all students, including those with disabilities and English language learners,” said Commissioner Willie Jett.

Minneapolis public schools shut down Thursday and Friday due to the unrest, but the district required teachers to come to their school buildings to get more information from administrators about the online learning choice. According to the district, the virtual option will remain accessible until February 12.

___

Associated Press journalist Claire Rush contributed from Portland, Oregon. Vázquez Toness reported from Boston.