Chicago Public Schools allows students to receive excused absences if they or their family members are concerned about Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in the city.
The government school district has a document, entitled “Attendance Coding for Safety Concerns Related to Federal Representative Activity,” that says parents can convey a fear of federal immigration authorities in order to mark their children “excused.”
The document was obtained by Defending Education, according to a report from Fox News.
“If a parent/guardian reports an absence and attributes it to fear of federal representative-related procedures, schools CAN excuse the absence under ‘concern for student health and safety,’” the policy reads, per the outlet.
“In the memo box, ‘concern for student health and safety’ should be written.”
The policy even says that “CPS policy does not provide a time limit” for the excused absences, meaning that students could indefinitely be excused from school over a purported fear of ICE raids.
Parents can also choose a guardian to inform the school of a needed excused absence if they are themselves “impacted by federal representative-related procedures.”
New docs obtained by @DefendingEd show Chicago Public Schools instructing staff to mark unlimited absences, tardies and early dismissals as “excused” when families say they fear ICE or “federal representative” activity, with no time limit and no paper trail. pic.twitter.com/OQYUT7L00j
— Kendall Tietz (@kendall_tietz) December 1, 2025
Kendall Tietz, an investigative reporter at Defending Education, told Fox News that “Chicago Public Schools is effectively telling families that fear of federal law enforcement is a standing excuse to keep children out of class with no time limit and no paper trail.”
“CPS should not be turning attendance policy into a sanctuary immigration tool,” Tietz contended.
“Instead, public schools should be focused on getting kids to school and keeping accurate records, not quietly encouraging truancy and obstructing cooperation with federal authorities,” she added.
“This policy undermines both student learning and the rule of law.”
Chicago Public Schools has witnessed an influx of students in recent years as more migrants arrived in the Windy City.
Chalkbeat reported in early 2024 that there were over 5,700 new immigrant students since the start of that school year.
“Our principals and teachers and school communities have been incredibly welcoming to the students and their families,” Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez said at the time.
The data released by Chicago Public Schools did not specify what share of their student population lives in city shelters or comes from migrant families.
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