There have been no reports of ICE agents detaining students, parents or faculty on public school grounds in Maryland under President Donald Trump’s increased immigration enforcement.

But rumors of an influx of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents coming to the area have put communities on edge and made parents question how schools will respond.

Ramped-up ICE activity has driven some Hispanic and multilingual students out of Maryland high schools, state education officials said. In other parts of the country, ICE agents are reportedly lingering near Latino-majority schools and bus stops at dismissal time, tactics that have prompted a lawsuit.

Last month, Nikita Baker, director of the ICE Baltimore field office, told local superintendents ICE would not enter schools or do any staging on campuses — though she can’t speak for other federal officials, such as Border Patrol agents. ICE did not respond to a request for comment on the meeting.

The Maryland State Department of Education has instructed school leaders to protect immigrant students and their information but comply with the law if ICE agents show up. School systems must have their own protocols.

Here’s what to know.

K-12 schools statewide

Maryland public schools don’t collect information on students’ immigration statuses when they enroll.

A state law passed last year requires public schools to deny ICE agents access to areas that aren’t publicly accessible unless it’s an emergency or they have a judicial warrant signed by a federal judge or magistrate.

Even when agents present a warrant, school officials are supposed to contact their system’s attorneys and superintendent, state education department guidance says. The Office of the Attorney General also recommends schools have a designated senior staff member who can distinguish between administrative and judicial warrants.

ICE can’t force school officials to help its agents but it’s a crime to interfere, the attorney general’s guidance notes.

“Facility staff has the right to object passively where they believe ICE is acting without authority,” the guidance reads. That can include refusing to open locked doors, but physically blocking agents is not allowed. School staff also cannot help anyone hide from or evade immigration agents.

Anne Arundel County

If anyone comes to an Anne Arundel school asking to interview, remove or get information on a student, school staff should contact the county’s Office of General Counsel and ask for identification and documentation, according to system guidance. That information should be vetted by an attorney.

Law enforcement officials should be asked to wait outside school buildings, and staff should contact the student’s parents.

Baltimore

Parents and family members of Baltimore City Public Schools students have been detained under Trump’s enforcement, but none of those incidents has happened as someone was coming in or out of a school building, officials said.

“School communities have reported immigration enforcement activity taking place in neighborhoods. This enforcement activity sometimes occurs near school buildings,” district spokesperson Sherry Christian said in an email.

Protocols call for Baltimore principals or another designated person to take down information from agents, including their names and their supervisors’ names, and documentation such as warrants.

Principals must get permission from the Office of Legal Counsel before letting an agent onto school grounds or answering questions. Protocols also say federal officers must remove any nonreligious and nonmedical face coverings, a staple of the increasingly militarized ICE.

School officials said they have become more vigilant since the federal government stopped considering schools “sensitive areas” ICE won’t enter, a policy that provided greater protection than state law. Staff members have spent more time this year trying to address the fears and concerns of students and their families and have been trained how to respond, Christian said.

Baltimore County

The Baltimore County Public Schools system has published a flow chart on its website that explains what steps to take when ICE agents or other government officials show up.

Asking them to wait outside in a designated area is the first step, according to the chart. An administrator will immediately contact a safety manager, who will verify the agent’s identity with the help of the school system’s law office. After that, school officials must contact the parents of the students ICE is looking for.

“Should there be an enforcement action that must take place on school grounds or an area nearby, administrators will designate where students will be directed, making all attempts to limit students’ exposure to enforcement action,” the website states.

Carroll County

At each Carroll County school, the chief of school security should ask the Carroll County’s Sheriff’s Office, which cooperates with ICE, “to coordinate for appropriate action and interaction with the ICE agents.”

The Carroll County school system adopted an immigration enforcement policy in January that requires schools to label nonpublic spaces with clear language and limit access to staff and students, along with parents and community members who have permission to be there.

Harford County

Staff members at Harford County Public Schools are expected to refer requests from outside law enforcement agencies to the district’s central office, which will review the requests and develop a response, spokesperson Jillian Lader said.

Howard County

If ICE agents show up to a Howard County school, staff must immediately contact the district’s office of general counsel. The school system does not consent to any ICE activities occurring at school buddings, offices or other system locations.

In 2018, the board of education approved a policy that says any Howard County Public Schools property is a “safe zone” for students and families and that employees will have access to information and resources to support students and families impacted by increased immigration enforcement.

Montgomery County

If immigration officers show up at a Montgomery County Public Schools campus, staff members are supposed to contact legal counsel and the family of any targeted student.

“While MCPS cannot obstruct state or federal law enforcement officers carrying out a lawful order, we take every measure to maintain a safe and stable learning environment for students and staff,” officials wrote on a webpage dedicated to immigration resources.

Colleges

Universities and colleges should give employees a way to contact campus police and legal counsel when responding to federal immigration officials, according to guidance from the state’s attorney general.

“Institutions should be prepared for the possibility of increased immigration enforcement activities on their campuses,” the guidance reads. “Higher education institutions may not interfere with enforcement activities, but they are not required to assist with them.”

Immigration officers can arrest or detain people in public areas on campus, but they cannot enter private spaces such as dorms and offices without judicial warrants or consent. Schools can release student education records only with the student’s permission or if agents have a court order or subpoena. In those cases, schools should notify adult students or parents of minor students before turning over the documents.

Public colleges and universities can be compelled to share students’ immigration statuses with officials but should consult a lawyer before turning over names, addresses or other personal information.

Reporters Liz Bowie, Jessica Calefati, Kristen Griffith, Jess Nocera, Talia Richman and Ellie Wolfe contributed to this story.

About the Education Hub

This reporting is part of The Banner’s Education Hub, community-funded journalism that provides parents with resources they need to make decisions about how their children learn. Read more.