Long before the first school bell rings, a silent emotional burden settles over many children from immigrant families, shaping their ability to learn, engage, and thrive. This quiet but constant weight is the pervasive fear that a parent could be detained by immigration authorities at any moment, a stress that disrupts home life and transforms the classroom from a place of discovery into a space fraught with anxiety. When this deep-seated fear materializes, abruptly reshaping a child’s entire world, the fallout does not remain confined to the home. It follows them through the schoolhouse doors, manifesting in ways that are often misunderstood by the very educators trying to help them succeed. This reality presents a profound challenge to the educational system, requiring a more empathetic and informed response to support students navigating crises far beyond their control.
A Teacher’s Awakening to a Hidden Reality
The profound impact of immigration enforcement on students often surfaces in the most unexpected and heart-wrenching ways, forcing educators to confront a reality they may not have been trained to address. For Lindsay Perez, a second-grade teacher in Delaware’s Indian River School District, this confrontation occurred on the school playground when one of her students, who had been struggling with frequent absences and incomplete assignments, broke down in tears. The child’s confession in Spanish, “La migra se llevó a mi papá” (“Immigration took my dad away”), provided a sudden, devastating context for her recent disengagement. Perez realized that the student’s difficulties were not a matter of choice or apathy but were symptoms of a family torn apart by a crisis. This raw moment highlighted the invisible struggles many children carry with them into the classroom each day, challenges that directly impede their academic progress and emotional well-being.
This experience served as a critical turning point, compelling Perez and her teaching partner to fundamentally rethink their approach to student support. They recognized that their roles extended far beyond academic instruction; they were also caretakers and a primary source of stability for children whose lives were in turmoil. In response, they implemented more intentional systems for checking on their students’ emotional and mental states, such as a simple daily check-in asking students to rate their feelings on a numeric scale. This small but significant change created a vital channel for communication, allowing children to express their anxieties in a safe environment. The anecdote underscores an evolving understanding within the education field: to teach effectively, one must first be a listening ear, looking past surface-level behaviors to comprehend the complex, often traumatic, realities that shape a student’s capacity to learn.
The Psychological Weight of an Unseen Grief
To fully grasp the internal experience of these students, psychological experts point to the concept of “ambiguous loss,” a term that describes a uniquely confusing and unresolved form of grief. Coined by family therapist Pauline Boss and articulated in this context by Brittany Zakszeski, an assistant professor at the University of Delaware, ambiguous loss occurs when a loved one is physically absent but psychologically present. For a child whose parent is detained or deported, the parent is alive but suddenly and completely inaccessible. This creates a state of perpetual limbo, where the normal grieving process is stalled because there is no closure. The child is left to navigate an emotional landscape of uncertainty, a situation that is profoundly stressful and destabilizing, particularly for a developing mind that relies on predictability and secure attachments.
The profound stress and grief stemming from ambiguous loss rarely manifest in children as conventional sadness or crying; instead, they emerge as significant behavioral and academic changes that can be easily misinterpreted by educators. Students may become withdrawn and quiet, find it impossible to concentrate on lessons, or develop chronic absenteeism as a form of school avoidance. These behaviors should not be viewed as a lack of motivation or a disinterest in learning. According to Zakszeski, they are a “very protective response to uncertainty and to grief.” In essence, the child’s nervous system is in a constant state of high alert, making it difficult to engage in higher-order thinking or social interaction. Understanding this psychological framework is crucial for educators to respond with empathy and support rather than with disciplinary measures that could further alienate an already vulnerable student.
Documenting the Academic Consequences
The observations from educators on the front lines are powerfully corroborated by a growing body of academic research that quantifies the detrimental effects of immigration enforcement on student achievement. A 2025 study conducted by researchers Figlio and Ozek, using extensive student-level data from Florida, revealed that a surge in interior immigration enforcement led to “modestly sized but measurable declines in academic performance” among Spanish-speaking students. These negative impacts were not confined to foreign-born students; they also affected U.S.-born children of immigrants, demonstrating the far-reaching consequences of enforcement policies. The study further detailed that the academic slide was more pronounced for lower-performing students, slightly stronger for girls, and more concentrated in the critical developmental years of middle and high school, suggesting long-term implications for graduation rates and future opportunities.
Further research reinforces the conclusion that the educational disruption is widespread and triggered by both direct and indirect exposure to enforcement actions. Another study, conducted in California’s Central Valley by Thomas Dee, found a “marked reduction in daily attendance rates” in school districts following nearby immigration raids that began in January 2025. A critical consensus emerging from these studies is that the negative impacts are not limited to children whose parents have actually been detained. The fear alone is potent enough to derail a child’s education. Zakszeski notes that research directly links this persistent anxiety to long-term negative effects on well-being and educational outcomes. The resulting drops in attendance and classroom performance are not temporary setbacks; they can permanently alter a student’s educational trajectory, widening achievement gaps and limiting their potential.
Forging Sanctuaries of Stability in Schools
While schools and individual educators cannot alter national immigration policy, they possess the power to control the environment they create within their own walls, offering a crucial buffer against the chaos students may be facing at home. Experts like Zakszeski argue that the most effective response is not centered on a student’s immigration status but is rooted in fostering awareness and genuine human connection. The priority for educators became providing “stable caregiving” within the school environment. This involved getting to know students as individuals, being attuned to subtle signs of stress and grief, and focusing on meeting their safety and emotional needs. By building trusting relationships, teachers created an essential foundation of support that allowed students to feel seen and valued, which was a prerequisite for any meaningful academic engagement.
Ultimately, it was understood that isolated efforts by individual teachers, while heroic, were insufficient without the backing of robust, systemic support. Schools recognized the necessity of implementing comprehensive systems designed to promote student well-being. This involved integrating Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) opportunities and mental health literacy into the core curriculum for all students, normalizing conversations around emotional health. For those requiring more intensive support, schools provided targeted mental health services that acknowledged the unique nature of grief from ambiguous loss. Proven interventions, such as one-on-one mentorship programs and small group supports, were also utilized to offer students consistent, positive adult connection. This shift affirmed that student mental health was not peripheral to academics but central to the teaching profession and the mission of education itself.
