The contagion spreads. Last week, I described a new policy issued on a pre-emptive basis for what Duval County (FL) Public Schools should do if Immigration and Customs Enforcement shows up at the door. Then, the School Board’s attorney explained his reasoning for issuing his memo establishing the new policy, which resulted in an update. But it seems this will be the never-ending story and thus, a never-ending series.

From Florida Today, as reposted by the Florida Times-Union: Six central Florida school districts have issued their own policies regarding what to do if ICE shows up. Spoiler alert: it’s worse than Duval. The six districts are Brevard, Orange, Volusia, St. Lucie, Osceola, and Seminole.

• Verify ICE agent’s identity via badge, photo ID, or business card. (Business card?! As in all it takes is a trip to a local print shop in order to gain access to schoolchildren?)
• Warrants are not needed for ICE to gain access to a campus, although agents must sign in and out following visitor procedures in the front office.
• Administrators should attempt to contact parents before agents interview their child, but if the agents tell the school not to, they shall comply with the order.
• Administrators should attempt to remain in the room during the interview, but if the agents order them to leave, they shall comply with the order.
• If a child is arrested, the parents should be informed immediately, except in Brevard, which says that is the responsibility of the law enforcement agency, which in this case would be ICE. In St. Lucie and Osceola, if ICE directs the school not to notify parents, that should be documented.
• St. Lucie, Volusia, and Seminole districts warn employees that they are subject to arrest or other legal consequences if they do not follow the directions given to them by ICE.
• A subpoena or court order is needed for ICE to access student records.

Credit to Finch Walker of Florida Today, who investigated and wrote the story. (Sorry for the paywall, but the USA Today chain does not give subscribers the ability to gift articles like the New York Times or Washington Post.)

Soooooooooooooooooooooooooo, school employees are told to follow ICE orders even if not legal or they will end up in the slammer themselves. As for the children, they have the right not to answer questions and request a lawyer, but, as an ACLU lawyer notes, that’s really hard for someone so young to do as they are conditioned to follow the directions of adults and answer questions, especially on school campuses.

It’s hard to say where this is going. Most of what’s been done and publicized by the new administration has been for show. In reality, detention centers are full, the Trump-derided-as-catch-and-release (a fisherman’s conservation principle) policy is still being followed, and ICE lacks by magnitudes the resources needed to carry out what the Trump campaign bragged what it would do on its first day.

However, it is alarming that these school districts are falling into line ahead of an actual need. They signal they are ready, able, and willing to help deny the rights of children, all children regardless of immigration status, to a free and appropriate public education.

As for now, due to a 1990 court case between the Florida State Board of Education and various advocacy groups, schools are not allowed to ask immigration status when enrolling children, schools may not refer students to ICE, and, as noted, may not deny educational services based upon immigration status.

I wonder how long that will last.