Rosen, Cortez Masto Demand Trump Administration End Extreme and Dangerous Immigration Enforcement Activities Near Schools

WASHINGTON D.C. - U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) joined Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Senate colleagues in demanding the Trump Administration take immediate action to ensure the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stops conducting aggressive, extreme, and dangerous civil enforcement activities within 1,000 feet of school properties. In their letter to Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon, the Senators call on her to hold DHS accountable for the harmful impacts of Trump's reckless immigration enforcement actions and protect students' right to learn in a safe and secure environment.

"We recognize you support eliminating your job as Secretary of Education through the destruction of the U.S. Department of Education. However, so long as taxpayers are paying your salary, you are responsible for protecting the right of children to learn in a safe and secure environment, free of the chaos and fear inflicted by out-of-control Federal agents recklessly using chemical agents and excessive force within footsteps of school grounds," wrote the Senators.

On October 3, a federal agent threw multiple canisters of tear gas less than 700 feet from an Illinois elementary school during the lunch hour - forcing the school to shift recess and activities inside for the rest of the day to protect students from the unnecessary use of chemical agents near a school.

"If society can agree that alcohol, tobacco and drugs should be kept at least 1,000 feet away from our schools, surely we can agree that tear gas-a chemical weapon which causes burning, pain, skin inflammation and respiratory distress-and other violent DHS tools and tactics also belong on that list," continued the Senators. "All students deserve to attend school and learn without fear of being tear gassed, witnessing violence or becoming the target of indiscriminate immigration enforcement."

The full letter can be found HERE.

Senator Rosen has been outspoken in her opposition to mass deportation, and her strong support for DACA and TPS recipients and their families. Earlier this year, she introduced the Protect Sensitive Locations Act, which would provide commonsense protections against immigration enforcement in sensitive locations like schools, hospitals, and churches. She also strongly denounced the Trump Administration for revoking a previously authorized TPS extension for immigrants from Venezuela. Senator Rosen also applauded the extension of TPS status for immigrants from El Salvador and Venezuela, after calling on the Biden Administration to continue to protect displaced Salvadorans. Aside from this, she raised concerns over the significant application delays impacting DACA recipients, and gave a floor speech urging her Senate colleagues to take immediate action to permanently protect Dreamers, while simultaneously continuing to work to pass comprehensive immigration reform that provides a pathway to citizenship.

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