Immigration Rights Michigan Schools Need to Know

Short URL to this resource: bit.ly/MI_ImmigrantRights 

Dear Colleague Letter Resources for Ensuring Equal Access to Education for Immigrant Students. (En Español) (Updated January 8, 2025)

MDE Guidance on the Responsibility to Educate Children Regardless of Citizenship and Immigration Status (Dr. Rice January 16, 2025)

Michigan Department of Education Additional Guidance on the Responsibility to Educate All School-Age Children Regardless of Citizenship and Immigration Status (Dr. Rice January 23, 2025)

MDE Memo with updates on Lawsuits regarding the Attempt to Restrict Birthright Citizenship (Dr. Rice February 7, 2025) 

MDE Memo Response to February 14 U.S. Department of Education Dear Colleague Letter and Diversity (Dr. Rice February 27, 2025)

MDE Memo Language Access a Responsibility (Dr. Rice August 14, 2025)

Legislation:

Role

What you can do

Further Resources

All Roles who Might Observe ICE actions
  • If on school property, respond according to your district protocol.
  • If in the community, consider the Guidelines from the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network.
  • Consider the video resources from We Have Rights, especially “When Documenting ICE Arrests”. 
  • Guidelines from the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network for observing and documenting ICE actions.
  • Videos demonstrating your rights for observing and documenting ICE actions.

Superintendent
  • Create district policy and procedure for ensuring FERPA (district employees, contractors, volunteers, etc.) is in place and seek board approval
  • Work with school safety supervisor to ensure district plan is created
  • Work with local School Police Department to understand the Police Department reporting requirement differences
  • Identify the school’s definition of “directory information” and determine if any of this information could put families at risk - Ensure staff are not creating building or classroom directories with more information than what is listed in the district policy, and confirm families understand their right to opt out of being part of directory information
  • Plan for Language Access for interpretation and translation during school and after hours
  • Awareness of Plyler v. Doe

Central Office Leaders
  • Partner with the district ELD Director/Coordinator
  • Plan for Language Access for interpretation and translation during school and after hours
  • Awareness of Plyler v. Doe

School Board of Education
  • Collaborate with the Superintendent to approve district policies .
  • Communicate with community
  • Awareness of Plyler v. Doe

Enrollment & Pupil Accounting

District Security & Crisis Supervisor
  • Create a district response plan for identifying safe placements if children arrive to a home and parents have been deported.
  • Create a district response plan to ICE being on school grounds or near school as part of a larger Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) and can include communication about the role of School Resource Officers (SRO) in schools. 

Transportation Directors & Bus Drivers
  • Awareness of bus routes and district procedures for releasing students
  • Train all bus drivers on the district policy regarding dropping off students and no parents are home
  • Do not share information about students, where they live, their names, parent names, or any personal information
  • Training, protocol, and access to language interpretation during and after hours (i.e. language line) 

Liaisons (ELD & McKinney Vento) and Family-Facing Resources
  • Communicate with families about the work that schools are doing for emergency procedures and training
  • Share resources with families
  • Ensure family and emergency contact information is up-to-date for school use
  • Ensure families understand they may opt out of directory information

Building Administrators
  • Train building staff on the requirements of the district
  • Ensure family and emergency contact information is up-to-date for school use
  • Ensure families understand they may opt out of directory information

School Resource Officer (building level)
  • Train all safety staff on the district plans (See district Security Supervisor):
    • Child placement
    • ICE on school property
  • Ensure FERPA compliance and do not share PII with anyone that is not approved

Building Secretaries
  • Ensure FERPA compliance and do not share PII with anyone that is not approved
  • Ensure family and emergency contact information is up-to-date for school use
  • Ensure families understand they may opt out of directory information

Counselors
  • Ensure family and emergency contact information is up-to-date for school use
  • Ensure families understand they may opt out of directory information

Social Workers & School Psychologists
  • Ensure family and emergency contact information is up-to-date for school use
  • Ensure families understand they may opt out of directory information

Educators and Instructional Support Staff
  • Ensure family and emergency contact information is up-to-date for school use
  • Ensure families understand they may opt out of directory information

Parent-Teacher Organizations (PTO) and Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), Boosters, Contractors and Community Organizations
  • Awareness of FERPA requirements & district policy
  • Mindful to not ask questions that may violate students and parents rights
  • Awareness of the district’s definition of “directory information” and ensure organizations are not creating directories with more information than what is listed in the district policy, and families understand their right to opt out of being part of directory information
  • Awareness of Plyler v. Doe and that schools may not ask immigration status at registration
  • Awareness and training of the district’s plan for Language Access for interpretation and translation during school and after hours
  • Provide digital access to public school events to prevent families from taking risks to attend when possible

Last updated October 2025

Disclaimer: This resource list is not exhaustive or exclusive but a guide to assist individuals and organizations seeking mental health, wellness, and/or crisis resources.  The contents of this document are for informational purposes only.  The use of this document is intended to be a resource tool and is not legal advice or intended to replace professional medical advice, treatment, or diagnosis. The use of any and/or all of these links are at the discretion of the district/organization to best meet community needs.  The creators of this resource are not responsible for any content that is linked to external sites.  While they will periodically review these resources, links should be reviewed for use and approved through your district prior to distribution within your district and/or community.