Texas Sheriff Wants to Assist ICE In Schools, Deport ‘Regardless of Age’

A Texas sheriff has told Newsweek he would support Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in schools, saying that illegal immigrants should be deported “regardless of age.”

“I believe if someone is here illegally they need to be deported regardless of age or location of where they may be found,” Fayette County Sheriff Keith Korenek told Newsweek.

Why It Matters

Texas’ state Senate, in early April, passed a bill that would require that certain sheriffs cooperate with federal immigration agents. Amid stricter border controls and an increase in ICE detentions nationwide, Donald Trump’s administration has empowered ICE and expanded its enforcement remit, with it now able to conduct raids in or near sensitive location such as schools. Critics have argued that this instills fear in vulnerable communities. The White House has said anyone living in the country illegally is considered to be a “criminal.”

During the campaign Trump said he would marshal state and federal authorities to carry out his mass deportation plans.

ICE — Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents escort a handcuffed individual during an early morning operation in Dallas.

LM Otero/AP

What To Know

Sheriff Korenek, who began his law enforcement career in 1987, said that anyone who assists undocumented immigrants should be prosecuted.

“I further believe that anyone, regardless of position, who helps or allows an illegal to circumvent our immigration laws should be held accountable and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” he said.

Approximately 111,000 immigrant children without legal status are enrolled in Texas public schools, according to data from the immigration advocacy organization FWD.us.

When presented with the remarks, the Texas State Teachers Association said targeting students in schools would create fear and disrupt the learning environment, as well as further risking the wrongful deportation of U.S. citizen children and the separation of families.

“Enforcement of immigration laws does not require armed agents to disrupt schools and terrorize young children, which is what would happen if schools were to become enforcement zones,” Clay Robison, a spokesperson for the Texas State Teachers Association. “If young students are in the United States illegally, it is not their fault.”

“The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that they are entitled to a public school education. So, leave their schools alone,” he added.

The 1982 Supreme Court ruling in Plyler v. Doe affirmed that children from families living in the country unlawfully have the right to attend public schools. In a 5-4 decision, the court ruled that it was unconstitutional to deny children an education due to their immigration status. Some conservative lawmakers have raised concerns about whether immigrants without legal residency should continue to have this right.

Texas is estimated to have approximately 1.7 million illegal immigrants living in the state, according to the Migration Policy Institute.

Senate Bill 8, filed by Republicans and passed by the Texas’ Senate on April 1, would require sheriffs in counties with a population of over 100,000, to request a 287(g) agreement with ICE.

Under agreements like the 287(g) program, local police officers who are “deputized” gain the authority to enforce federal immigration laws. These partnerships enable local law enforcement to collaborate directly with federal immigration agencies, often resulting in more coordinated operations and immigration raids within communities.

What People Are Saying

Sheriff Keith Korenek told Newsweek: “I fully support President Trump and his enforcement efforts in relation to immigration violations. There is a legal procedure in place for immigrants to legally enter the United States.

Clay Robison, a spokesperson for the Texas State Teachers Association, told Newsweek: “They are places for learning. Rounding up immigrant children at school also runs the risk of deporting children who are citizens and separating children from their parents, a despicable enforcement practice or result that often happened during the first Trump administration.”

Many Texas school districts don’t check the immigration status of their students, which adds to the risk of agents in school raids deporting kids who are in the country legally.”