Following recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests made in Northwest Colorado, community concerns around ICE detaining students are growing; but local school districts say they are strengthening policies and procedures to help protect students.

After the Trump administration announced recently that ICE arrests could be made in schools, concerns about student safety in local schools have risen.

“This action empowers the brave men and women in U.S. Customs and Boarder Protection and ICE to enforce our immigration laws and catch criminal aliens—including murderers and rapists—who have illegally come into our country,” a Department of Homeland Security statement said in January. “Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest. The Trump administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense.”

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Local law enforcement agencies, including the Routt County Sheriff’s Office, the Steamboat Springs Police Department and the Hayden Police Department recently issued a joint statement following the federal announcement, stating that recent rumors regarding ICE’s presence around Steamboat businesses, schools and workplaces are believed to be false.

“The Steamboat Springs School District is committed to providing a safe and welcoming environment for all students, staff and families,” said Celine Wicks, the Superintendent of Steamboat Springs School District. “We will continue to adhere to Colorado state laws and uphold our mission to serve every student, regardless of immigration status. Our focus remains on fostering an inclusive community where every learner has the opportunity to succeed.”

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Wicks added that if ICE were to arrest students or faculty members, the school district would “seek legal and advocacy support” and “communicate directly with the parties that need to be communicated with.”

According to Wicks, all students in the Steamboat Springs School District have an emergency contact, and if parents or guardians were to be detained while a student was at school, the district would immediately reach out to the assigned emergency contact. Wicks added that law enforcement would not be contacted during that process.

Wicks also stated that when the Trump administration announcement was made in January, the school district experienced a dip in attendance, but attendance has since gone back up to standard levels.

“Our number one response is to protect student rights,” added Wicks. “If we had to do any crisis support, then we would go down that road as well.”

Kirk Henwood, the superintendent of the South Routt School District, stated that the district educates “all school-age children who live within (the district’s) boundaries.” 

“We ask that any visitors to the school check in at the main office and visitors are only allowed to meet with students where they have verified school business,” continued Henwood. 

Henwood also added that the South Routt School District has seen a recent decrease in attendance, but stated that the decrease could be due to sickness.

Hayden School District Superintendent Eric Owen stated, “A lot of the rumors and fears that started a couple of weeks ago helped us to line out what our procedures are when any law enforcement agent needs to speak with a kid. Our policy on educating students, including undocumented students, is to provide a safe and welcome environment for kiddos.”

Owen stated that, similarly to Steamboat Springs School District, a student’s emergency contact would be contacted if the parents or guardians were detained while the student was at school, and noted that law enforcement would not get involved. Owen also added that attendance has been “very stable” in the last month.

Cuyler Meade, the Moffat County School District director of communications, stated, “Our response to ICE requests are the same as our response to any law enforcement request… If a law enforcement or ICE agent produced a warrant or subpoena, we’d do our best to verify its validity, including calling the superintendent to involve his office, and then of course we would comply with any judicial order.”

Meade added that if ICE were to seek contact with a child, the district would immediately contact a parent or guardian, “even if there’s a warrant or subpoena.”

Routt County Sheriff Doug Scherar has said only people who have criminal charges and are “a threat to public safety” are being detained by ICE; but how far federal agents might go to arrest undocumented individuals remains unknown.

In a press briefing with journalists on Thursday, Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet said he has spoken with federal law enforcement officials but it is “unclear” to him how the Department of Homeland Security and ICE agents will approach detainments in schools and churches in the state.

“Our offices are paying very close attention to what is happening across Colorado,” said Bennet.