Federal Judge Approves ICE Raids At Public Schools In Win For Trump Admin

A federal judge has ruled against Denver Public Schools’ effort to prevent immigration authorities from conducting raids on school grounds, marking a legal win for the Trump administration as it ramps up deportation measures.

U.S. District Judge Daniel Domenico, appointed by Trump, concluded that the district failed to demonstrate that a recent dip in student attendance was directly linked to the administration’s decision to overturn a 2021 policy from the Biden era. That policy had designated schools and other "sensitive locations" such as churches as off-limits to ICE enforcement actions.

According to Fox News, more than 1.4 million individuals are currently listed on ICE’s final order of removal docket.

In response to the policy reversal, Denver Public Schools sued the Department of Homeland Security and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, claiming the change had “hindered its mission” by causing fear among students, which in turn contributed to attendance declines.

The district sought a preliminary injunction to block federal immigration arrests at sensitive locations, but the judge rejected the request. Domenico also declined to impose a nationwide injunction that would have forced immigration authorities to return to the 2021 guidelines, as reported by Fox.

Alongside its concerns about attendance, the district argued that it was forced to reallocate resources to address heightened fears among students and their families. School officials stated that with longstanding protections removed, staff had to dedicate time and effort to educating students and employees about safety procedures during immigration enforcement encounters. For example, school personnel were trained to deny ICE officers entry unless they presented a warrant signed by a judge.

However, Domenico, who previously served as Colorado’s solicitor general, pointed out that it was unclear whether the anxiety stemmed primarily from the new policy or broader fears surrounding increased immigration enforcement.

He also noted that Denver Public Schools had not actually experienced any ICE raids and that the agency’s leadership had already issued a directive requiring supervisors to approve immigration arrests at sensitive locations.

Domenico further remarked that both the concerns about the new policy and the perception that the previous guidelines fully safeguarded schools might be “overstated.”

“The lawsuit was brought by the school district, not the city of Denver, which is a sanctuary city. The lawsuit stated that there were more than 90,000 students in the Denver Public Schools system during the 2023-2024 school year, and approximately 4,000 were immigrants,” Fox reported.

Meanwhile, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced Friday that officials had identified individuals allegedly responsible for leaking details about ICE operations.

“We have identified two leakers of information here at the Department of Homeland Security who have been telling individuals about our operations and putting law enforcement lives in jeopardy,” she stated in a post on X. “We plan to prosecute these two individuals and hold them accountable for what they’ve done.”

“We’re going to continue to do all that we can to keep America safe,” Noem added.

The secretary did not disclose the names of those involved.

DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News that the suspects will face legal consequences.

“We are preparing to refer these perpetrators to the DOJ for felony prosecutions,” McLaughlin said. “These individuals face up to 10 years in federal prison. We will find and root out all leakers. They will face prison time, and we will get justice for the American people.”