This story was originally published as part of the Washington Association of Black Journalists (WABJ) 2026 Urban Journalism Workshop and lightly edited for style and clarity.
On a recent Tuesday afternoon in Rockville, Maryland, before school, groups of small children formed lines behind their trusted adult and walked confidently through the busy suburb.
What seemed like a daily drop-off schedule for students at Meadow Hall Elementary School was actually a community effort to keep students safe amid fears of immigration-related deportations in the area.
At Meadow Hall, students are scared to walk to school out of fear that they could be deported from their neighborhoods, without their families knowing. The fear has resulted in a decrease in attendance, according to school leadership.
Meadow Hall, which has a Hispanic population of nearly 60%, according to Montgomery County schools, needed a new way to protect students. They created a “walking school bus” program where students are escorted to and from school by a teacher or trusted community member.
For schools in Montgomery County, where nearly 1 in 5 people are Hispanic, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement deportations have been a part of life that both staff and students have had to adapt to. One of the students whose parents have been deported now only lives with his grandma, while others are facing eviction because the family member who was taken was the main provider, Mackall said.
With an increase in ICE presence around Rockville and a new detention center planned to be opened in Hagerstown, staff and students have begun to worry about how to protect their families and community from deportation.
“The biggest thing is the mental task or impact that it has had on students first and also our staff. During the meeting, our staff was very emotional because a student’s father was just taken,” said Desmond Mackall, principal of Meadow Hall. “We want to continue to keep this a happy place for kids because this might be the only happy place.”
Mackall explained that the ICE deportations have greatly affected his students, both physically and emotionally.
At Meadow Hall, five students have had families deported by ICE, Mackall said. The elementary school has also seen a decrease in students walking to school and attendance at their free community English classes, both out of fear that ICE might deport members of the community at the institution. This eventually led to the invention of the “walking school bus.”
“Some of our partners have started to reach out to do what our staff is doing with the walks,” said Mackall. “We are trying to get an official outfit so that the community knows, ‘these guys are with Meadow Hall. So my kids are ok to walk to school with them.’ I am grateful to how the outside community has responded.”
The community has also created GoFundMe accounts for students’ families who have been deported, which have raised thousands for students, said elementary school teacher Jennifer Campbell. There are also school drives that provide high-quality groceries for families and clothing drives.
Outside of official sources, some teachers even donate clothing, medicine and food to families.
“These kids become my children,” said Campbell. “You truly learn to love them and care for them. I’m a mother at heart.”
‘I Know It’s Tough, and It Takes a Toll on Us’
Schools have also been combating the emotional impact of ICE deportations, with counseling resources for students with deported relatives being offered at a variety of schools. There have also been group sessions that students have requested as a space to talk with peers who have been through a similar experience.
“We have great therapeutic services, counseling where students can get one-on-one counseling at least once a week,” said Mackall.
Teachers are also feeling the impact of deportations because it’s such a close-knit community.
“I was just heartbroken to see this little, at the time, 8-year-old, who didn’t have a mom,” said Campbell. “I feel it because I have three boys myself and one of my sons is 9 years old. You should not be without your mother.”
At Meadow Hall, there have also been many legal battles that they have had to overcome. The school community has encouraged families to create “duty of care plans” in the event they are taken by ICE and to give these plans to the school along with emergency contacts.
In the event that a student doesn’t have any other family to take care of them, the school has also arranged for some teachers to “foster a kid” temporarily, Mackall said.
Schools have also provided resources such as the Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center, Lutheran Social Services in Silver Spring and the Maryland Office for Refugees and Asylees (MORA), which have all been officially offered by Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). Schools also provide information about immigrant rights in their community letters and through school-provided pamphlets.
In the event that ICE agents do come into the school, they have to go through a lot of hurdles in order to enter the building and take a student.
“Part of our protocol is that we have to check if there is a warrant or valid identification because there are sometimes valid reasons for students getting deported,” said Mackall. “If there are valid reasons, then there is nothing we can do.”
Local police have partnered with schools to ensure that ICE follows proper protocols and that students are safe throughout the school day. MCPS has also created policies on how to act with students who have been affected by ICE deportations and on what to do if ICE tries to enter a school.
Staff have been directed to create a welcoming environment for both students and families and to foster trusting relationships with immigrant families so that they always feel comfortable talking to school officials if they need any form of support.
“I had a student whose birthday was coming up. I made a wishlist, and everything was bought within minutes, which is awesome. The class and I surprised him. We ordered pizza and cupcakes,” said Campbell. “It was so nice to see how happy the class was for him as well.”
“The main principle for teachers to implement is to keep doors to the schools closed and watch students carefully when they are outside of the school building. If the doors are open, the ICE can come in, and similarly, if students are outside, ICE can take them,” said Campbell.
Because of the danger this poses, the school has held “ICE drills” to teach students what to do when an ICE officer arrives at the school. The drill mainly consists of students lining up as quickly as possible and coming into the school building. After listening to principal feedback, MCPS officials sent out a final draft of resources for staff and teachers, which has now been implemented county-wide.
“Anything I can do for these little guys to help them, to get them through all this, cause I know it’s tough, and it takes a toll on us,” said Campbell. “If he needs a break, I’m not gonna push him too much. But these kids are resilient.”
