On January 20, 2025, the Trump Administration rescinded a policy that prevented imigration enforcement officers from operating in “sensitive areas” such as churches, hospitals, and schools. Many in Rocky Hill ask what this means for children in our school system. Rocky Hill Democrats believe that the people in our town should be informed of the policies of the school board and our police officers. Here is a description of how our schools and police say they will interact with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, or any federal immigration authority.
We aren’t providing legal advice: we are sharing the resources provided by state and local legal authorities.
What is the law?
Connecticut law defines how state and local law enforcement will interact with federal immigration authorities. An important state law is the Trust Act, which was passed in 2013 and updated in 2019. The Connecticut Attorney General’s Office summarizes key parts of the Trust Act, which:
- Prohibits law enforcement, bail commissioner or intake, assessment or referral specialists, or employees of a school police or security department, from unnecessarily sharing certain information with ICE unless required to do so by law;
- Clarifies that local and state law enforcement are not required by law to arrest, transport, or detain people for ICE;
- Prevents local and state agencies with detention facilities – like jails, courthouses, and prisons – from allowing ICE to roam their facilities;
- Prevents law enforcement, bail commissioner or intake, assessment or referral specialists, or employees of a school police or security department from performing the functions of a federal immigration authority;
How do Rocky Hill Police interact with ICE?
In short, Rocky Hill Police cannot provide resources, information, or support to federal immigration authorities without a warrant signed by a judicial officer.
In the February 18th, 2025 Public Safety Commission meeting, Rocky Hill Police Chief Brian Klett reviewed a notice that Rocky Hill Police use as guidance for their interactions with federal immigration authorities.
This document explains:
- State police can only provide support to federal immigration officers under specific conditions:
- there is a judicial warrant for someone
- they have been convicted of a felony, or
- they are a possible match on a terrorist watch list
- Unless those conditions are met, the law prohibits Connecticut police officers from providing information, providing time or resources to communicate with ICE, and generally performing any function of a federal immigration authority.
What access do ICE agents have to Rocky Hill Schools?
Rocky Hill public schools cannot provide information about a student, allow federal immigration agents onto school grounds, or facilitate the arrest or detainment of a student without a warrant signed by a judicial officer. The warrant must be submitted to the school superintendent. If this warrant is provided, the school will facilitate the immigration officer’s actions.
To be clear; a federal immigration authority cannot enter a Rocky Hill School and apprehend a student or request information unless under the specific conditions listed above. Similarly, school resource officers cannot facilitate an ICE action without those conditions.
On February 25, 2025, the Connecticut Legislature passed HB 7066, which among other things requires schools to adopt a policy like the one that Rocky Hill schools follow today. As of writing, the Department of Education is expected to issue guidance on how this policy will impact schools. This article will be updated.
Immigrant communities deserve clarity and safety
As Democrats, we oppose the Trump Administration’s decision to open “sensitive places” – including our schools, hospitals, and places of worship – for immigration officers to act. When the federal government treats immigrants as the enemy, even people with legal status can fear to let their children go to school, report a crime, or go to the doctor when they get sick.
Put simply by the National Immigration Law Center:
“Protecting sensitive locations from immigration enforcement is essential to ensuring all our community members can access basic services and support without fear—the policy’s rescission constitutes an attack on immigrant communities’ wellbeing and undermines safety for all.”