Students, Parents, and Community Leaders Lift Their Voice For Immigrant Rights
BALTIMORE, MD — Students, parents, and community partners joined immigration and advocacy powerhouse CASA virtually to urge the Baltimore County Public Schools’ Board of Education to provide stronger protection for students and their families against Immigrations Customs and Enforcement (ICE) with a specific policy.
This was a direct response to the Baltimore County school teacher who proactively offered to provide ICE with the information of students who participated in “Día sin inmigrantes,” a protest designed to illustrate the importance of immigrants in the U.S. During the virtual event, the students called on Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) to adopt stronger policies to make them and their families feel safe and welcomed.
On Feb. 3, 2025, Dustin Renner, a Baltimore County teacher at Overlay High School contacted ICE offering up the personal information of students who participated in an immigrant solidarity day. In a letter sent to Overlea High School students and their family, Principal, Dr. Monica Sample, stated that “The comments made in the post do not represent our values as a school community…Overlea High School administration is following all BCPS policies to address this incident…”
However, the current policies are broad and do not provide students, families and staff with much guidance. That is why CASA is calling on BCPS, and the Maryland State Department of Education, to adopt a much clearer policy that lays out with particularity the restrictions against agencies accessing families, programs, resources, and information while conducting civil immigration enforcement. Additionally, families must know that ICE will be blocked from school resources and information and the current policy does not spell that out.
Helen* (a pseudonym due to security and safety concerns), a student at a Baltimore County High School said, “Every student deserves to feel safe at school, no matter where they come from. We should not live in fear that our personal information will be used against us. That’s why it’s crucial for school staff to have clear guidelines to protect our privacy, ensuring our information is not shared with ICE or any other agency that could harm us. Schools should be places where we can focus on learning and growing, not on worrying about deportation or discrimination.”
Griselda, a CASA member and parent of three BCPS students shared her frustration and hurt. “Hearing that a county teacher is threatening to call ICE makes me feel threatened and insecure about sending my children to school. That threat doesn’t just affect me; it is a fear that can affect our entire immigrant community. It is critical that the school administration act to address this problem and ensure that all students feel valued. As a community, we must come together to create an environment of support and solidarity in our schools, where every student feels welcome, regardless of their origin or immigration status.”
The actions of the teacher violate not only the student’s trust, but the safety of their entire families. Maddie, a student attending a BCPS school said, “Even though I was born here, I’m always worried that something might happen to my family. It’s not just me—lots of my friends and classmates feel the same way. This fear makes it hard to focus on school or enjoy being there. Instead of feeling safe and excited to learn, we feel like we’re looking over our shoulder all the time, wondering if something bad is going to happen.”
Rosa*, a CASA member and student shared her concerns and her determination. She said, “Hearing that a county teacher threatened to call ICE made me feel that I really did not belong in this country – and that teachers do not want us in their classes. That threat made me question whether all teachers (and school board leaders) think the same – do you simply want us to be deported? Are you aware of the anxiety and mental crisis this situation causes us day after day? This is the country I call home – and I will fight for my educational dreams.”
CASA’s Baltimore and Central Maryland Director, Crisaly De Los Santos, stated, “I want to thank our youth leaders and their families, as well as educators and community advocates, for their courage and determination in standing up for what is right. It’s time for a policy that shows Baltimore County stands firmly with its immigrant students, protecting them from external threats and giving them the opportunity to thrive. The time to act is now. We cannot wait for another incident to force us to confront these issues again. Let’s work together to make our schools the safe spaces they are meant to be.”
With over 173,000 lifetime members across 46 US states, CASA is a national powerhouse organization building power and improving the quality of life in working-class: Black, Latino/a/e, Afro-descendent, Indigenous, and Immigrant communities. CASA creates change with its power-building model blending human services, community organizing, and advocacy in order to serve the full spectrum of the needs, dreams, and aspirations of members.
