Michigan school districts including Lansing and Waverly in the capital region are pushing back against President Donald Trump’s executive order allowing immigration officers on school property.

Local district officials have changed or updated policies to affirm “welcoming school” resolutions and implement measures to protect any undocumented students and their families.

The Waverly Community Schools Board of Education on Monday passed a resolution “affirming commitment to a safe, inclusive and supportive school environment for all students regardless of immigration status,” according to The Lansing State Journal.

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The resolution specifically states that all students, regardless of their immigration status, have the same rights to an education and privacy. In late January, the district’s superintendent posted on social media that ‘schools should be sanctuaries’ for undocumented students, FOX 47 News reported.

The district published a post on Facebook to assure parents that the school district would shield undocumented students from Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

Superintendent Kelly Blake said the Facebook post is rooted in a 1982 Supreme Court decision, Plyler v Doe, a landmark decision that allowed undocumented children access to public education.

In early February, the Lansing School District passed a similar resolution saying in part that “LSD students, staff, and their families originate from many different countries besides the United States.” In 2017, the City of Lansing passed an executive order directing city police and employees not to assist immigration agents unless they have a criminal warrant.

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Under the Lansing School District policy change, the district will no longer include information about students’ addresses, place of birth and telephone numbers in its directory information, the Lansing State Journal reports.

Board members also designated Lansing schools as a “welcoming district” and pledged to work alongside union partners and immigration advocates. That includes providing “training and support for student, staff, and their families on immigrant rights, understanding various legal statuses, and the overall health, safety and well-being of those personally affected by the threat of the enforcement of federal civil immigration laws within schools.”

In 2017, during the first Trump administration, East Lansing Public Schools passed a similar resolution, according to their board policies. In 2023, the City of East Lansing passed a resolution to become the state’s first sanctuary city, FOX 47 News reports.

Trump’s order rescinded former President Joe Biden’s policy on immigration law enforcement activity in “protected areas,” including schools. The order allows ICE agents to detain immigrants at sensitive locations such as schools and hospitals.

Despite pressure from the ACLU of Michigan and the Michigan Immigration Rights Center, the majority of school districts in the state have not taken any action on the issue.

Days after Trump’s order, the Michigan ACLU and immigration activists sent a letter to every superintendent in the state, emphasizing the rights of undocumented children to receive an education. The letter also explained the legal rights of districts to deny ICE officers from entering school buildings without a warrant or subpoena.

Lansing School District’s policy change follows guidance released by the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center and the ACLU of Michigan last month. Schools should “limit the information collected from students, parents and guardians. If there is no reason to collect it, then do not collect it.”

Some of their recommendations include:

• Remove any requests from home language surveys for information regarding place of birth, immigration status or length of attendance in U.S. schools.
• Eliminate any requests for information regarding parent citizenship or immigration status.
• Expressly define security camera footage inside of school buildings as educational records.

However, law enforcement officials are not allowed unrestricted access to school property for student safety and security, Ingham Intermediate School District Superintendent Jason Mellema told The State Journal. Only officers with a valid warrant are able to detain students, Mellema said.

U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett, R-Michigan, responded to questions about Trump’s executive orders and what he says to educators who believe schools should be sanctuaries.

“The American people elected President Trump to secure our nation’s borders,” Barrett said in a statement to FOX 47 News. “…Congressman Barrett believes we can both secure our borders and treat people humanely while respecting their human dignity. These two are not mutually exclusive.”