Nevada Proposes Bill to Make it Illegal for School Employees to Cooperate with ICE

A new bill in the Nevada Legislature, Assembly Bill 217 (AB217) received its first hearing in the Assembly Committee on Education on Tuesday. The bill, introduced by Assemblymember Cecilia González, seeks to prohibit school employees from allowing federal immigration officials onto school grounds or disclosing student information without a proper warrant or court order.

AB217 was introduced in response to concerns from constituents following the Trump administration's rollback of a 2011 policy that restricted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol from operating in sensitive areas such as schools, a policy which has since been blocked by a federal judge in Maryland.

The bill would make it a misdemeanor for school employees to knowingly violate the policy, with penalties of up to six months in jail or a fine of up to $1,000, as reported by The Miami Herald. Additionally, the bill originally included a provision restricting the use of chemical agents and stun guns on students. However, González has indicated she is working on an amendment to remove this section to focus solely on immigration-related protections.

Upon introducing the bill back on February 14, González said the bill would provide an additional layer of protection to immigrant families, especially given that school districts in rural Nevada may not have such resolutions in place and that existing federal protections could be rescinded. "The goal is to make this a standardized practice," González said.

The Nevada State Education Association (NSEA), a statewide teachers' union, issued a statement on Tuesday in support of the bill. "Ensuring that federal immigration officials can only access school campuses through proper legal channels should not be controversial; it's a necessary safeguard to uphold that right and maintain trust within our school communities," the union stated.

While the bill enjoys support from progressive and immigrant-rights groups, it has faced opposition from organizations such as the Nevada Association of School Boards and the Nevada Association of School Superintendents, which expressed concerns about criminal penalties for staff. Nevada Republican National Committeeman Jim DeGraffenried also argued that the bill is unnecessary, as it largely reflects existing laws and school district policies.