Dozens of advocates packed the DeKalb County Board of Education meeting Monday, July 13, demanding the district adopt a policy that would require federal immigration agents to show a judicial warrant before questioning or removing any student on school grounds.
The board didn't act. The proposed Safe Space to Learn policy had been scheduled for a first read at the July 13 meeting but was pulled from the agenda without public explanation. The next opportunity for the board to take it up is the Monday, August 10 meeting.
What the policy would do
Under the draft policy, law enforcement officers, including ICE agents, would need a judicial warrant or court order, verified by school administrators, before they could question a student, remove a student from campus, or access student records. The requirement would apply to every DeKalb County school.
Local voices at the meeting
Jessica Stern, owner and managing partner of the immigration law firm STERN Law, spoke on behalf of a Livsey Elementary parent. Livsey, located in Tucker, enrolls 383 students. About 38% are Hispanic or Latino, according to 2023-24 federal education data.
"Families are terrified," Stern told the board. "That kind of fear doesn't stay outside the building. It follows children into the classroom, and it keeps them from learning and, in many cases, from coming to school or participating in the community at all."
A student at Sequoia Middle School described what happened after her father was detained by ICE. She told the board she could not focus on her exams because her family "never looked happy" after receiving the call about her father's detention.
Alberto Feregrino, Georgia Organizing Director at CASA, an immigrant advocacy organization, called the delay unacceptable. Speaking at the July 13 meeting, he said the new school year was "just 15 business days away" and urged the board not to push adoption any further.
Why it was delayed
The board has not publicly explained why the first read was removed from the July 13 agenda. No board member commented on the delay during the meeting, according to Rough Draft Atlanta's reporting.
Context across metro Atlanta
DeKalb is not the first metro Atlanta district to consider such protections. Gwinnett County Public Schools adopted a similar policy in March, according to Rough Draft Atlanta. Atlanta Public Schools approved its own version, with an amendment in progress to add a judicial-warrant requirement.
Nationally, President Trump rescinded the longstanding federal policy shielding schools from immigration enforcement on Inauguration Day 2025. As of June 22, 2026, no confirmed cases of immigration agents entering a public school building had been documented, though at least 17 instances of federal agents near or on school grounds have been reported since January 21, 2025, according to Education Week.
What's next
The DeKalb County Board of Education meets next on Monday, August 10. The first day of school falls before that meeting, according to advocates who spoke July 13. Residents who want to speak during public comment can find procedures at dekalbschoolsga.org.
- Monday, August 10 — DeKalb County Board of Education meeting; next opportunity for Safe Space to Learn policy first read
