School parent detained In Washington ICE raid

A parent from the South Whidbey School District in Washington state has reportedly been detained in an immigration raid.

Superintendent Dr. Jo Moccia said that the parent detained was a member of the school district community. In an email posted on X, formerly Twitter, by Discovery Institute Senior Journalism Fellow Jonathan Choe, Moccia expressed her concern for the family, noting that the parent “has fallen victim to the immigration raids.”

Newsweek reached out to Moccia and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) via email for comment.

Why It Matters

Mass deportations were a central focus of Donald Trump‘s 2024 presidential campaign. Since his return to office on January 20, his administration has arrested thousands of undocumented immigrants as part of a widespread crackdown, which critics say is spreading fear in vulnerable communities.

The president has expanded ICE’s authority, allowing immigration raids in schools, hospitals, and places of worship. Opponents argue that these actions may violate the Fourth Amendment, which protects against unreasonable searches and seizures and could lead to legal challenges.

Americans broadly support immigration reform overall but disagree about how policies such as deportations should be carried out. A New York Times/Ipsos poll from January 2 to 10 found that 55 percent of voters strongly or somewhat supported Trump’s immigration plans. Eighty-eight percent supported “deporting immigrants who are here illegally and have criminal records.” Large majorities of both Democrats and Republicans agree that the immigration system is broken.

What To Know

It is unclear where the parent was arrested.

If ICE agents arrive on a school campus, staff should refer them to the principal or the principal’s designee, as outlined in guidance from Washington State Superintendent Chris Reykdal’s office.

School staff must ask for a valid court order or warrant signed by a judge, which the district superintendent or lawyer will review. Schools should only allow access as specified if the order is deemed valid.

District officials are encouraged to request that a school representative be present during any interviews conducted by immigration agents on campus, according to the state attorney general’s office, and to make efforts to notify parents.

On X, formerly Twitter, ICE announced that it made 1,016 arrests and lodged 814 detainers on Thursday.

Since Trump returned to office, ICE and the White House have released daily reports on the number of immigrants arrested or placed under immigration detainers—figures that differ from the number of deportations.

According to Pew data, an estimated 3.9 percent of Washington residents were undocumented immigrants in 2021.

The Department of Homeland Security released a memo that reversed the Biden administration’s policy prohibiting ICE agents from operating in or near schools, churches, and other “sensitive locations.”

In a statement regarding the policy shift, a DHS spokesperson said that “criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest.”

The ICE policy requiring agents to obtain prior approval before making arrests in sensitive locations was introduced in 2011 through a memo from then-Director John Morton. This policy remained in effect throughout the first Trump administration and continued under the Biden administration.

Under the policy, ICE agents could enter sensitive locations, such as schools, churches and hospitals, under specific circumstances. These included addressing national security or terrorism threats, apprehending dangerous felons, preventing imminent risks of death or injury, or safeguarding evidence in a criminal investigation from being destroyed.

Agents were required to secure approval from their superiors before carrying out arrests in these sensitive locations.

What People Are Saying

South Whidbey School District Superintendent Dr. Jo Moccia, in an email to parents on January 29: “It has come to our attention that one of our school parents has fallen victim to the immigration raids that have begun in our country. Our hearts go out to their spouse, children, and friends.

“At South Whidbey, we will do everything we can to protect our students when they are at school, no matter their citizenship status.”

Washington State Superintendent Chris Reykdal’s guidance on protecting immigrant students: “In Washington state, we will do everything we can to protect our students, no matter their citizenship status.”

What Happens Next

The situation surrounding the South Whidbey School District and the immigration raid has sparked ongoing concern in the local community, especially as the federal government’s policies on immigration enforcement evolve under the Trump administration.

More school districts, communities, and local governments may speak out about the impacts of immigration raids. There may be calls for legal challenges regarding ICE’s enforcement actions, particularly in sensitive locations like schools, which were previously considered protected spaces under past administration policies.