The Portland Public Schools is dedicated to creating a welcoming, safe, and inclusive environment for all students, staff, and families. In light of our community’s concerns about safety following enforcement actions in Maine and nationwide by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), we have recently updated our district's procedures regarding requests from ICE or other non-local law enforcement to access school property or student information. The district’s protocols, based on guidance from legal counsel, provide guidance to PPS staff to safeguard students’ well-being in the event of non-local law enforcement action on or near PPS grounds, buses, or events. All staff are being trained on these protocols and on the civil rights laws that relate to immigration enforcement issues. We have also engaged with Portland Police, and they have agreed that if they learn of any enforcement action planned at a school, they will work to ensure that it does not occur there. We commit to transparent and timely communication with the community when there is confirmed law enforcement on or near school grounds. Learn more about school safety on the District Immigration Guidance page on our website.