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Pinellas school district responds to immigration enforcement report
A report released Wednesday stated that Pinellas County Schools Police could be the nation’s first to question immigration statuses and detain people pending deportation.
District officials pushed back against that assertion Thursday morning and essentially blamed the confusion on their chief of police.
According to Florida Phoenix, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) website stated Wednesday morning that Pinellas County Schools (PCS) Police has a pending application to execute a state Task Force Model agreement. The report said it would allow officers to “act as immigration enforcement officers in some capacities.”
The Catalyst could not find any mention of the district’s application on the ICE website Wednesday night. Public information officer Isabel Mascarenas provided the following prepared statement:
“The agreement for Pinellas County Schools was signed by the district Chief of School Police without the knowledge or authorization of the superintendent or school board,” Mascarenas said. “The agreement is administrative in nature, as it does not obligate the district to participate in training.”
Chief Luke C. Williams and Superintendent Kevin Hendrick were not available for comment.
PCS is home to over 91,000 students in 143 schools. More than 20% are Hispanic, and nearly half (48.8%) are non-white.
Williams oversees 35 employees, mostly officers. Those do not include dozens of safety officers and campus activities monitors. The district’s in-house police department operates separately from other local law enforcement agencies.
“Pinellas County Schools does not intend to nominate any member of the Schools Police department to attend the training program to perform the functions of an immigration officer through the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE),” Mascarenas said.
“The district’s previous memo to schools regarding immigration enforcement remains in effect.”
The district’s legal team issued the Jan. 27 memo to school board members in response to questions regarding federal agents requesting information on or interviews with parents or students. It states that PCS must follow applicable laws regarding immigration enforcement and student privacy.
“As always, the goal is to maintain a safe learning environment for students,” they wrote. “Ultimately, law enforcement is the function of law enforcement agencies, and not of the schools or the district, but we can assist schools in dealing with these situations.”
Pinellas County Schools Police Chief Luke Williams (fourth from right) and several other high-ranking members of local law enforcement agencies discuss school safety in June 2022. Photo provided.
The legal team recommended that teachers and administrators immediately contact their department when an agent issues a request. They said it is also “good practice” to alert officials and PCS Police.
School attorneys reiterated that all school-aged resident children have a right to attend school. “The district legally cannot, and does not, inquire about the immigration status of its students,” they said.
“In at least the last 20 years, district schools have had no reported visits from immigration enforcement officials.”
However, Florida Pheonix noted that the presidential administration reversed a policy restricting immigration arrests at schools, and Florida’s Department of Education (DOE) did not hesitate to comply. State advocacy experts expressed dismay that the U.S. DOE has not issued guidance on students’ right to privacy and education – regardless of citizenship status.
The report created a social media uproar among local stakeholders. While the memo states that student records and information are confidential without parental consent, there are exceptions.
Exceptions include a subpoena, warrant or court order mandating a records release; a health or safety emergency; “directory information”; or if the request comes from the U.S. Attorney General or DOE. “This exception does not specifically list ICE or other immigration officials,” the attorneys wrote.
The legal team also advised that federal agents “have certain rights, even in the absence of a warrant.” Those include interrogating anyone suspected of being an illegal immigrant.
Federal agents – and deputized local officers – can also arrest a potential alien who is likely to flee before they can obtain a warrant. “In other words, it is not unlawful for agents to engage in their activities at schools,” states the memo.
Steve D
March 7, 2025at4:24 pm
Abe, if you can elect legislators to change the law, then they’ll be here legally. Until then, they’re breaking the law and have zero citizenship rights or benefits, unless they’re in a so-called “sanctuary”.
S
March 7, 2025at11:45 am
Illegal Immigration: A Bottomless Money Pit
Let’s cut through the nonsense. The idea that illegal immigrants are some kind of economic blessing is one of the biggest fairy tales being pushed today. The truth? They are a massive, decades-long financial drain, and anyone claiming otherwise is either misinformed or deliberately lying.
The Cold, Hard Facts
First, let’s start with some basic economics—because the people pushing the “net positive” myth clearly skipped that class. When we didn’t choose these people to be here, and they lack education and skills, how exactly do they contribute more than they take? Answer: they don’t.
✔ Low Education = Low Wages = Low Taxes Paid
Most illegal immigrants have, at best, a 10th-grade education—if that. The average illegal immigrant earns under $25,000 per year, meaning they contribute next to nothing in taxes but consume far more in services than they pay in. Simple math.
✔ Massive Social Services Burden
They flood hospitals, schools, and welfare programs—costing the U.S. taxpayer billions every year. Local governments can’t afford it, but they’re forced to foot the bill anyway. Pinellas County taxpayers? Get ready to pay more.
✔ Schools Overrun, Education Quality Drops
Your local schools? Packed. Your kid’s classroom? Full of kids who don’t speak English, need special instruction, and stretch school resources to the breaking point—while the test scores of U.S. students plummet. Education funding that should go to American kids is being drained to accommodate people who shouldn’t even be here.
✔ Crime and Law Enforcement Costs Soar
Illegal immigrants don’t just take up classroom seats—they also fill jails. Local law enforcement is forced to deal with gangs, drug trafficking, and an explosion of violent crime tied directly to illegal immigration. In cities like Los Angeles and New York, a staggering percentage of violent crimes are committed by illegal immigrants—but sure, tell me again how they’re a “net positive.”
✔ Health Care? Say Goodbye to Affordable ER Visits
Hospitals across America are collapsing under the strain of providing free emergency care to illegal immigrants who can’t pay. When these hospitals go bankrupt or cut services, American citizens are left holding the bag.
How Long Until They “Pay for Themselves?”
Let’s be generous. How many years does it take before illegal immigrants “pay back” what they cost?
📉 30 to 40 years—if ever. 📉
That means entire generations of Americans are paying for people who shouldn’t even be here, who were never invited, and who are draining our economy, schools, and health care system.
The Verdict: Net Negative for Generations
✔ The costs far outweigh any supposed benefits.
✔ Illegal immigration is an economic and social disaster for decades.
✔ The people claiming it’s a net positive are lying or clueless.
America’s first responsibility is to its own citizens. The idea that taxpayers should fund the collapse of their own schools, hospitals, and neighborhoods to subsidize illegal immigration is insane.
⸻
Sources:
• Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) Report – Illegal Immigration Costs U.S. Taxpayers $150 Billion Per Year
• Heritage Foundation – The True Cost of Illegal Immigration
• New York Post – Illegal Immigrants Overwhelming U.S. Cities
If someone still wants to argue illegal immigration is an “economic positive,” hand them a calculator, a budget sheet, and a reality check.
Richard Courson
March 7, 2025at11:07 am
I love your site. Is that allowed or will you block that comment too?
Richard Courson
March 7, 2025at11:05 am
I’ve been blocked? You won’t let me post?
Richard Courson
March 7, 2025at11:01 am
Well said Steve and Abe K., you’re ignoring the huge social welfare costs, not to mention the diseases these invaders bring in, increased crime and lawlessness, etc. They need to come here legally. Please use some common sense. I could go on, but I think you get the idea.
Bogie class of “71”
Chester
March 6, 2025at8:42 pm
Something to remember before the next school board elections.
Abe K
March 6, 2025at5:56 pm
Steve, schools are funded primarily by property taxes. Illegal immigrants still pay for housing but also contribute to the economy. They still need to buy food, gas, clothes, tools, etc. All these things are a contribution to the economy.
Steve D
March 6, 2025at5:45 pm
So, let me get this straight. School officials are denying and apologizing for enforcing the law. Got it!
Taxpayers take note; you’ve been subsidizing people illegally here, many who get paid cash, don’t pay taxes, send their children to public schools, and send their cash to foreign countries. Can you afford that? Can the USA afford that, now $36 trillion in debt.