“Sanctuary policies are bad in any context, but they are especially troubling in our schools,” Rokita said in a statement, claiming that schools are unusually “vulnerable to infiltration by criminal illegal aliens.”
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita has filed a lawsuit against Indianapolis Public Schools, claiming that the state’s largest district is actively “thwarting” federal immigration enforcement operations.
According to The Indiana Capital Chronicle, state law prohibits local government entities, including school districts and police departments, from limiting cooperation or interfering with the activities of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal law enforcement agencies.
“No public institution in Indiana has the right to pick and choose which laws to follow,” Rokita said in a press release. “When a school district refuses to cooperate with ICE, it doesn’t just break the law — it endangers students, protects criminal aliens, and sends a dangerous message to every government body in this state: that compliance is optional. Not on my watch.”
The lawsuit seeks an injunction preventing Indianapolis Public Schools from continuing to enforce its allegedly unlawful policies. In response, district officials have reaffirmed their commitment to “ensuring safe, supportive, and welcoming learning environments for all students.”
“As has always been the case, we will continue to uphold the law while keeping these commitments,” the district said.
Indianapolis Public Schools also took the opportunity to criticize Rokita’s priorities.
“While IPS takes all legal obligations seriously, we respectfully hope that all concerned parties will recognize the heavy burden that silly litigation and political posturing places on students, families, and taxpayers,” the district said in its statement. “Every dollar spent on defensive legal posture is a dollar not spent on instructional support, teacher development, student services, or enrichment. In this case, Mr. Rokita prefers those dollars go to fight gratuitous political battles, as has too often been the case.”
The Indiana Capital Chronicle notes that Indianapolis Public Schools’ policy prohibits employees from “gathering, maintaining or sharing the immigration status of students, their families and district staff unless it’s legally required.”
Rokita claims that these practices, among others, are illegal; he specifically criticized a policy limiting the ability of district employees to voluntarily cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.
“Sanctuary policies are bad in any context, but they are especially troubling in our schools,” Rokita said in a statement, claiming that schools are unusually “vulnerable to infiltration by criminal illegal aliens.”
“It’s essential that ICE be able to take action when that occurs to help keep our kids safe,” Rokita said.
Rokita’s lawsuit says that the district’s policies can also create problems for immigrants leaving the country, citing the example of how IPS procedures allegedly led a son to go to school on the day of his father’s deportation flight.
“ICE faced significant obstacles—caused by IPS policies and actions on January 8—in its efforts to reunite the father and the son,” the lawsuit alleges.
But Indianapolis Public Schools says that, when it received a series of letters from Rokita’s office in early October, it tried to cooperate—but wasn’t given enough time to provide the type of documentation the attorney general was demanding to see.
“Unfortunately, despite taking six months to craft his opinion on IPS’ policies, Mr. Rokita permitted only five business days from the time IPS received his review to respond, and then refused IPS’ request for any additional time,” the district said. “Yet, these important issues deserve thoughtful, deliberative weighing of important legal rights — not impulsive, superficial efforts for political gain.”
Sources
Indiana AG sues Indianapolis Public Schools for ‘thwarting’ federal immigration enforcement
Rokita sues IPS for blocking ICE from schools. District says lawsuit is for ‘political gain’
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