This is not normal

Masked ICE agents and Border Patrol stormed onto a school campus. It happened at the end of the day when parents, students and teachers were out in front of the school. Staff were thrown to the ground, one was handcuffed and spirited away like a criminal, in front of the students. Also tear gas and irritants were used on adults and students. Everyone was terrified.

In response, Minneapolis shut down its public schools for the remainder of this week. Why? We were ICE and Boarder Patrol there on that campus ? I have no idea. There has been no stated reason given.

Schools have always been sanctuaries and protected spaces where children are safe from armed authority. Not anymore.

I do not begrudge Minneapolis for closing its schools. In fact I think it was bold and brave and ensured that the federal government could not create any other flash points in those communities.

I also think what is happening in Minneapolis is deliberate. For those of us - including me - who are not seeing ICE in our neighborhoods or businesses being raided does not mean we are not impacted and do not have a responsibility to speak out and stand up.

This is not ok. Children missed needed instruction and intervention, routines were disrupted, and likely parents had to miss work. How does a parent even explain to a disabled child why they can’t go to school all week? I know this impacts every person - adult or child - but disruptions like this - ones that cannot be explained - have a greater impacted on our most vulnerable children who are often times students with disabilities. Harm is occurring.

No child should ever witness a teacher being tackled and hand cuffed at school. No district should ever close because federal agents turned a school into a battleground. This is terror and that is the point.

Stay safe everyone . Peacefully protest and stand up. This is not normal and we need to call it out, every time, all the time.