Alpine School District: No ICE in Schools
Require a judge-signed warrant, train front office staff, and communicate clearly with families. A consistent written policy would protect students across all 100+ Alpine schools.
What we are asking for
- Require a judge-signed warrant before immigration enforcement officers enter non-public school areas or remove a student
- Train front office staff with a written protocol and clear escalation path
- Notify families promptly when enforcement activity affects the school or a student
Why it matters
- Fear and uncertainty reduce attendance and hurt student learning
- With over 100 schools, inconsistent responses create serious gaps in student protection
- Staff deserve a clear, standard procedure — not an impossible decision under pressure
- Families deserve accurate information about what the district will and will not do
How we win in Alpine School District
This effort is organized and strategic. The goal is not just awareness — it is policy change.
Recruit and grow
- Build a base of parents, students, educators, and community members
- Expand outreach across the Alpine School District community
Build a coalition
- Connect parent groups, faith communities, immigrant organizations, educators, and any interested community members
- Coordinate across organizations instead of working in isolation
Develop a strategy
- Align on messaging and specific policy requests
- Prepare speakers and coordinate outreach to board members
Show up together
- Attend school board meetings as a unified group
- Make a clear, coordinated request for policy adoption
What is happening now
- Alpine School District has no district-wide written protocol for immigration enforcement visits to schools
- With more than 100 schools spread across a large and rapidly growing area, responses to enforcement visits likely vary significantly by campus
- Front office staff have no documented procedure for what to do, who to call, or what they are and are not required to allow
- Families — particularly in communities with higher immigrant populations — have no clear information about how the district would respond if officers arrived
- The district's rapid growth has brought many new families who may not know what protections, if any, are in place
For organizations and community leaders
We are actively building a coalition in Alpine School District to pass a clear, written policy protecting students and families.
This is a coordinated effort with a clear plan:
- Recruit community members across the district
- Build a coalition of aligned organizations
- Develop a shared strategy and messaging
- Show up together at school board meetings to make a unified request
If your organization works with students, families, educators, or immigrant communities — or if you are simply a community member who cares about this issue — your voice matters in this effort.
Ways to participate:
- Join coalition planning conversations
- Help recruit community members
- Provide a speaker for school board meetings
- Share this effort with your network
What you can do
Alpine School District's board can adopt a protective policy at any meeting. Here is how to make that happen.
Sign up for updates
Get notified about upcoming board meetings, action alerts, and new developments in Alpine District.
Sign UpContact a board member
A brief, personal email to a board member asking for a written policy is more impactful than it sounds. Board members read constituent mail.
Find Board Members ↗Attend a board meeting
Public comment gives you 2–3 minutes to speak directly to the board. Attending with others sends a stronger signal.
Full Meeting Schedule ↗ How to Speak Effectively →Connect with local organizations
Parent groups, faith communities, immigrant support organizations, educator networks, and community members throughout the Alpine area are all welcome in this effort. You do not need to belong to a specific group to get involved.
Get ConnectedRead the draft policy
See the exact policy language we are asking the board to adopt — warrant requirement, front office protocol, staff training, and family communication.
View Draft Policy →Share this page
Know someone in Alpine School District — a parent, teacher, or community leader? Send them here. More people means a stronger ask.
View this page →This campaign is built around coalition action. Policy change happens when multiple organizations coordinate — not when groups act alone.
We are actively bringing together parent groups, educators, faith communities, immigrant support organizations, and any community members who care about keeping schools safe — to develop a shared strategy and present a unified request to the school board.
Common questions
What would this policy actually do?
A protective school policy creates a clear, district-wide procedure — not a general statement of values. Specifically, it would:
- Require immigration enforcement officers to present a judicial warrant (signed by a judge, not an administrative ICE form) before entering non-public areas of any school or removing a student
- Give every front office staff member a written script and a clear person to call — so no one has to make a real-time legal decision under pressure
- Require the district to notify families when enforcement activity affects a student or a school
- Create a consistent, documented response across all schools in the district
It would not prevent lawful enforcement with proper legal authority, and it does not require the district to take any position on immigration policy.
Is this legal?
Yes. Schools have the legal authority — and arguably the obligation — to require proper legal documentation before allowing access to students or student records.
- Plyler v. Doe (1982): Schools cannot deny education on the basis of immigration status, creating a duty to protect access to learning.
- FERPA: Schools are already legally required to protect student records from disclosure without proper legal authority.
- Fourth Amendment: Requiring a judicial warrant is consistent with constitutional standards that apply to government actors, including immigration enforcement.
- DHS Sensitive Locations Policy: Federal guidance already discourages enforcement at schools. A district policy formalizes what federal guidelines already acknowledge.
See the strategy page for detailed legal analysis.
What are other Utah districts doing?
Utah has no state law requiring districts to adopt protective policies — every district makes its own choice. As of early 2026, no Utah district has fully adopted a complete protective policy, but some are further along than others.
The absence of state requirements means every protection is the result of local organizing. Alpine has the scale to make a significant impact — a policy here would cover more students than any other single district action in Utah.
See the Utah district scorecard to compare where Alpine stands relative to other districts.
What does local law enforcement have to do with schools?
Several Utah counties participate in 287(g) agreements — federal-local partnerships that authorize local law enforcement to perform immigration enforcement functions. This means enforcement risk in Utah extends beyond ICE agents to include local sheriffs and police in everyday encounters.
A school district policy cannot override those agreements, but it can establish the school building as a distinct protected space with its own written rules — giving families a clear, reliable guarantee that the school operates differently.
Full strategic analysis
For detailed research, policy design guidance, coalition strategy, and implementation tools, see the organizer strategy page.
Alpine School District can act now.
The board does not need to wait for state law. A clear, written policy is within reach — and with Alpine's size, adoption here would be one of the most significant steps Utah has taken to protect students.