Important update: Jan. 27, 2026

The past several days and weeks have challenged our communities - both locally and across the state. Recent events are weighing heavily on the community. Many neighbors, friends and families have been faced with uncertainty paired with strong emotions and differing perspectives regarding recent immigration enforcement and ICE activities by federal agents in the state of Minnesota.

While our schools have remained a place of stability and connection, it is difficult not to acknowledge the families and students who fear for their own well-being while also recognizing the many community members and organizations who are working hard to support their needs.

We have a shared commitment to safety and belonging. The Anoka-Hennepin mission statement is to “effectively educate each student for success.” These are not just words on a page; they are our promise to one another. We remain steadfast in this mission, also to ensure every student and staff member feels a sense of belonging.

Without question, one thing we can all agree on is that we all want what is best for the students in our district. Teachers and staff members take great pride in making personal connections and building strong relationships with students. Providing a safe, welcoming environment is a core value and strategic priority in Anoka-Hennepin that extends to each and every student in our schools. Furthermore, one of the district’s guiding principles is to recognize the important role a parent serves as the first educator for their student, and connecting with students and supporting their families is a foundation for school success.

I want to directly address how that support is being provided.

• Attendance and academic support: Prior to the holiday break, when concerns regarding ICE activity began to emerge, school principals, teachers, social workers, counselors and other caring staff members took immediate action to address school attendance and created plans to continue learning for students who shared personal safety concerns. The district continues to support a school-based, student-centric approach, providing an individualized or customized plan for each family. Families or students who want to request this type of support should reach out directly to their school counselor, social worker or school administrator to connect with the resources available.
  
  
• These supports provide schools with the most practical and impactful tools to do our best to maintain engagement, access, and academic progress for students in their time of need. Please know our current approach to addressing individual needs through their school allows for greater connection with staff and meets student needs with our current resources.
  
  
• The district’s learning and achievement team will continue to develop and make available ready-to-use online and print instructional materials for our teachers and staff that are designed to help students remain connected, providing grade-level learning and minimizing instructional disruption during absences as much as possible.
  
  

• Resources for families: The district has also activated ahschools.us/immigration to serve as a resource for students and their families to answer questions and assist in navigating through this situation.
  
  

• Transparency of the impact in our schools: I also want to acknowledge that immigration enforcement and visibility of ICE agents have been witnessed in our school communities, most of which has been shared directly with the people most affected.
  
  

• Two vans transporting high school students were pulled over by ICE agents during the early morning hours near the border of the city of Dayton as they were on their route to school. In this case, the encounters were brief and the van drivers took appropriate action to ensure the safety of students and the routes continued to school as expected. This incident was reported on by Minnesota Public Radio and a message was shared with the Dayton community for their awareness, while communication was provided to parents of the students involved. This incident is under investigation by the school district.
  
  

• ICE vehicles were also positioned in a parking lot in Anoka near the Two Rivers Education Center at Franklin. Agents were approached and asked to relocate by district staff, who did so upon request. I should note the agents were not parked in this location to pursue enforcement activity at our schools.
  
  

• We have also received reports of ICE vehicles near bus stops in certain areas of the district. These reports are being collected and monitored at this time.

I shared this information for your awareness and to provide perspective on how ICE enforcement and its presence here has had an impact - whether intended or not intended - on our students, families, and staff members.

Finding the right words and tone to communicate a message like this when community members may be experiencing strong emotion presents a challenge. But this is also a necessary step for us as a school district and community to move forward in support of our schools and the students we serve.

Thank you for your attention to this message. Let’s use our collective energy for the benefit of our students, teachers and staff during this time of need.

Sincerely,

Cory McIntyre, superintendent

Anoka-Hennepin School District