The increased presence in the community of federal immigration authorities caused widespread disruption to Lewiston schools and students the past two weeks, Superintendent Jake Langlais said Monday.
Langlais confirmed that ICE agents did not visit any Lewiston schools, bus stops, or other school events. But, he told the School Committee, student attendance dropped and fears among all students grew as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents fanned out across southern and western Maine in an operation that arrested more than 200 people.
Langlais detailed the steps the school department took over the past two weeks to ensure the safety of students and staff, while figuring out how to handle an influx of unconfirmed information that could affect hundreds of students.
“This disruption is real,” Langlais said. “The emotions, including fear, do not have to be rational for others because for those people, it’s as real as it can be. We are going to continue to think our schools are a safe place.”
RUMORS BEGIN
As rumors about ICE’s planned operation in Maine started to spread, Langlais said he sought answers from larger offices beyond Lewiston, but did not find any.
At the same time, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the White House said Somali nationals, who make up a significant number of Lewiston’s immigrant community, are no longer granted temporary protected status and must leave the U.S. by March 17.
The School Committee, with Langlais, compiled policy and shared a document with the public on the school’s plans. As a result, Langlais received a high number of interview requests from local and national media outlets, similar to the aftermath of the October 2023 mass shooting.
“They wanted statements, comments, inquiries,” he said. “But we were so worried about keeping our grounds safe.”
ATTENDANCE DROPS
Student attendance started to drop the week of Jan. 19, Langlais said.
An average of 716 students per day were absent that week, compared with 575 for the same week a year ago. The next week, an average of 872 students per day were absent, compared to 628 last year.
The Lewiston Public Schools have at least 5,300 students across eight schools.
Factors such as holidays, cold weather, snow days and midterms make attendance difficult to track and compare over years. Additionally, parents do not usually say why their child is absent, though it’s encouraged to provide a reason.
Throughout the uncertainty and the anxiety, Langlais wanted to ensure that school remained a safe place for students. He coordinated with the Lewiston Police Department and stationed a cruiser at the school for a few days.
Requests for rallies and groups to use the school’s spaces were canceled out of fear it might prompt ICE response or more protests.
The school department worked with students who planned a walkout Friday after school.
The regularly scheduled unified basketball game was held to maintain normalcy, and the walkout started right after at 2 p.m., with hundreds of students participating.
“They were successful and got their message out there,” Langlais said.
The committee asked how Langlais plans to continue the efforts to keep students safe.
The superintendent said he is working with school departments in Minnesota, along with other Maine districts, for next steps as ICE reportedly plans to tone down its efforts in Maine.
Charities and nonprofits reached out to provide aid to affected families, Langlais said. If the ICE presence persists, he will coordinate an after-school effort.
“The biggest thing we can do is listen and have people tell us what they know,” he said.
