Overview
- Board members heard hours of public comment on a draft that labels all district and charter properties, buses, bus stops and school events as safe zones requiring a judicial warrant for ICE interactions.
- DPS already limits immigration enforcement access and data sharing under Superintendent Alex Marrero’s Administrative Policy KLG, yet advocates argue a board policy would be harder to roll back and send a clearer message.
- DPS General Counsel Aaron Thompson cautioned that some provisions may exceed board authority and would likely require renegotiating agreements with the Denver Police Department and with charter schools, especially around SRO conduct.
- After concerns about restricting school resource officers, drafters said the intent is to avoid tickets and arrests for minor misbehavior rather than prevent police action in dangerous situations.
- Directors plan to continue refining the language at their March 19 meeting, as DHS reiterates it does not raid or target schools and says actions in school settings are rare.