A federal judge has ruled against Denver Public Schools’ efforts to block immigration officials from conducting raids on school grounds, delivering a victory for the Trump administration as it intensifies deportation efforts. U.S. District Judge Daniel Domenico, a Trump appointee, found that Denver Public Schools failed to demonstrate that a recent decline in student attendance was directly linked to the Trump administration’s reversal of a 2021 Biden-era policy that shielded schools and other sensitive locations, such as churches, from ICE operations. Currently, more than 1.4 million individuals are on ICE’s final order of removal docket.
Denver Public Schools had filed a federal lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, arguing that the policy reversal “hindered [the district] in fulfilling its mission” by discouraging students from attending school due to fears of immigration enforcement, Fox News reported. Denver Public Schools had requested a preliminary injunction to prohibit federal authorities from conducting arrests at sensitive locations, but the court denied the request. Domenico also rejected a broader appeal for a nationwide injunction that would have required immigration officials to reinstate the 2021 guidance.
Denver Public Schools argued that, beyond the drop in attendance, it had to redirect resources to address fear among students and families following the rollback of longstanding protections. The district claimed that rescinding the policy forced schools to allocate time and resources to educating students and staff on how to stay safe from immigration enforcement. Staff members have been trained to respond to ICE officers arriving at schools, with instructions to deny entry unless agents present a warrant signed by a judge.
Domenico, Colorado’s former solicitor general, questioned whether the fear surrounding possible enforcement actions at schools stemmed directly from the policy change or broader concerns about increased immigration crackdowns. He also noted that no immigration raids had yet taken place at Denver schools and pointed out that ICE leadership had issued a directive requiring supervisory approval for any arrests at sensitive locations. The fear over the new rules, as well as the belief that the old rules provided protection to schools, both seem to be “overstated,” Domenico said.
Denver Public Schools released a statement expressing disappointment with the ruling but emphasized that the lawsuit succeeded in bringing the Trump administration’s immigration policies to public attention. The lawsuit was filed by the school district itself, rather than the city of Denver, which is a designated sanctuary city. According to the filing, Denver Public Schools served more than 90,000 students during the 2023-2024 academic year, with approximately 4,000 identified as immigrants.
