Maine ICE operation coincides with large absences among Portland students

Teachers and school officials in Portland, Maine, reported large numbers of immigrant students staying home as a multi-day federal immigration operation continued across the state. The Department of Homeland Security said it was targeting about 1,400 people and said agents had arrested more than 200 people as of Monday; local officials reported unmarked SUVs, traffic stops and apartment stakeouts.

Portland’s public school system, which enrolls about 6,200 students and includes many immigrant families, saw steep absences last week: some schools reported 25 to 30 percent of students missing, and districtwide attendance on Thursday was 41 percent among multilingual students, 39 percent among Hispanic and Latino students and 34 percent among Black students, compared with 6 percent of white students.

Officials and advocates said students stayed home after parents were detained or because families feared encountering immigration agents. School leaders warned that children missing class were also losing access to free meals, weekend food bags, counseling, legal services and facilities such as showers and laundry; the district said it has almost 500 students who are housing insecure.

More than 60 people arrested in the operation sought emergency legal help from the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, and at least eight detained Maine residents had been sent to detention centers in Louisiana.

Key Topics

Politics, Ice, Portland, Maine, Homeland Security, English Language Learners