Pinellas County school officials not allowing district officers to act as ICE agents in schools

Pinellas schools and immigration policy

FOX 13's Kailey Tracey explains the pushback from Pinellas County Schools after the police chief applied for the U.S. immigration and customs enforcement program.

LARGO, Fla. - President of the Pinellas Classroom Teachers Association, Lee Bryant, said he was shocked to hear that the district's police chief had applied for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s 287(g) Program, agreeing to have his officers help immigration enforcement in schools.

The program lets ICE delegate state and local law enforcement officers to perform specific immigration officer functions.

Pinellas County school officials say they will not allow district officers to act as ICE agents in schools.

"I started getting text messages and phone calls from members flooding my phone," Bryant said.

He said union members, parents and students, who were already scared, were even more concerned now.

"Some students have quit coming to school because they're worried if they go to school, what happens if Mom or Dad get arrested somewhere, they get stopped and detained somewhere," Bryant said.

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School district officials said the school's police chief, Luke Williams, independently submitted the application for the program without authorization.

Pinellas County Police Chief Luke Williams

What they're saying:

Pinellas County Schools said Thursday that ICE confirmed the district won’t participate in the 287(g) Task Force Model program.

"The district’s previously issued guidance to schools and the community on immigration enforcement remains in effect and continues to reflect our official position," it said in a statement.

That position, the district’s attorney said at the Pinellas County School Board’s January meeting, is if an ICE agent comes to a school, administrators should contact the legal department. They’ll then walk administrators through the situation following federal and state laws.

"While I understand that a lot in our community have concerns about what may be going on around in the country, my duty, and I've had conversations with [Superintendent Kevin] Mr. Hendrick and our executive leadership team, our duty is to help our schools follow the law, but still try to continue that climate of safe and caring environment at our schools," Pinellas County School Board Attorney David Koperski said at the January meeting.

District officials said there haven’t been any known ICE visits to any schools in the district.

By law, they can’t collect information about the immigration status of students or their families, Koperski said.

Bryant said he wants to see the school board go a step further and adopt the Safe School Zone resolution he showed them at January’s meeting.

Pinellas County school officials say they will not allow district officers to act as ICE agents in schools.

ICE agents would have to show a warrant in the front office. The principal would then contact the superintendent and ICE agents would only come into a classroom if it was absolutely necessary.

What's next:

The Pinellas County School Board meets again on Tuesday for a workshop, and then March 25 for its next board meeting. Bryant said he’ll be there and present the resolution again.

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The Source: Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Kailey Tracy.

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