New watchdog database names hundreds of school districts limiting ICE cooperation as tool for parents

FIRST ON FOX: A national education watchdog group is rolling out a new tool aimed at giving parents greater transparency into how their children’s schools are responding to immigration enforcement as schools across the country intensify their pushback against ICE and immigration operations.

The nationwide database, released by Defending Education, catalogs K-12 districts that have adopted so-called “sanctuary,” “safe haven,” or immigration-related policies in recent years and limited their cooperation with federal authorities.

The list, which Defending Education says it will continuously update, spans more than 700 school districts across 33 states and Washington, D.C., and includes districts that have passed formal resolutions, issued guidance to staff, or adopted written policies governing how school personnel should respond if federal immigration agents seek access to campuses.

“When school districts choose to resist or impede federal law enforcement, they are playing a dangerous game,” Erika Sanzi, senior director of communications at Defending Education, told Fox News Digital. 

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“There is no easy answer when you fear for your students and their families because of their immigration status, but schools should not be declaring themselves sanctuary schools or safe havens from federal authorities, especially if/when they are, knowingly or not, shielding violent family members of their students from deportation.”

The database allows parents to search by state and district and links directly to the resolutions or policy documents where available, giving families the ability to review the language for themselves rather than relying on district summaries or public statements.

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Districts include deep blue states and cities like California and Illinois but also red states in traditionally conservative areas of Texas and Arizona. 

The release comes as immigration enforcement and the role of local institutions have become flashpoints nationwide, with school districts increasingly injecting themselves into broader political debates over border security, public safety and federal authority.

Students across the country have been spotted at anti-ICE rallies in recent weeks, including in Phoenix on Monday where hundreds of students walked out of class in a staged protest, Fox 10 Phoenix reported.

In Minnesota, students have protested at the state capitol as school districts have closed due to “safety concerns” over ICE raids. Additionally, Fox News Digital reported a member of the St. Paul Board of Education and prominent Black Lives Matter activist was arrested for storming a local church.