Dartmouth School Committee signs policy on ICE in schools

Dartmouth High Schools approved a new policy that allows the schools to create procedures when it comes to federal law enforcement officers such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE.)

On Aug. 5, Governor Maura Healey passed the Protect Act. This limits ICE access to places such as schools, courts, nursing homes, hospitals and more. 

The Dartmouth School Committee had to pass their own policies soon after, and approved the new policy five to zero on Monday, Sept. 14. 

These procedures include designating a senior administrator who would have primary contact, contacting the District Attorney, documenting interactions, notifying a parent or guardian if a child’s information is requested or notifying a student if they are over 18 or emancipated, allowing more than one emergency contact and sharing these procedures. 

These procedures will take into consideration and align with the Emergency Operations Plans, Medical and Behavioural Health Emergency Response Plans and the School Resource Officer Memorandum of Understanding. 

These procedures together create an emergency plan for if ICE shows up at any of the Dartmouth schools. 

As this has now been adopted by the school committee, each school will come up with these procedures. These procedures will be consistent across the schools. 

“It also reinforces our commitment that schools should remain safe, welcoming and accessible to our students,” said Superintendent June Saba-Maguire.