Key points:
• Families and teachers have reported that administrators at Sequoyah Middle School are avoiding the topic of ICE at the school, which has a high Latinx population.
• The middle school serves more than 1,600 sixth, seventh, and eighth graders in Doraville.
• Bridgette Allen, area middle schools superintendent, issued an apology to the families,
DeKalb County School District officials will meet with principals about proper protocol around ICE raids after community members voiced concerns about immigration protocols at a DeKalb County meeting.
During a Dec. 8 DeKalb County School Board meeting, several people spoke out about issues with protecting children and their families in the case of illegal ICE raids. The topic arose after reports that administrators at Doraville’s Sequoyah Middle School advised teachers to remain silent and avoid sharing resources about immigration with families.
Nadia Behizadeh, a member of the National Council of Teachers of English, was the last speaker of the night to denounce Sequoyah’s reported handling of the ICE raids that are affecting many families in the district. A teacher reportedly told Behizadeh that the help hotline for families with questions about ICE had been removed from the school’s website and teachers were instructed not to talk about ICE. The middle school serves more than 1,600 sixth, seventh, and eighth graders in Doraville.
“They were told to focus only on teaching content, and part of the rationale to not talk about what is happening in the community was that talking about ICE was making students feel anxious and unsafe,” Behizadeh said. “I’m extremely concerned that administrators in a mostly Latino-serving school are misplacing the source of anxiety and harm onto the discussion of the ICE raids instead of placing that squarely where it belongs, on the violent ICE raids themselves.”
In a 2025 publication in the Journal of Community Psychology, Emily Lemon and colleagues found that Latinx youth are experiencing emotional harm from spaces that erase their culture, experiences, and struggles.
Miguel Cano, a student at nearby Chamblee High School, also spoke about the dangers of avoiding a topic that he and other DeKalb County students are grappling with along with their typical academic pressures.
“All I ask is for you to ensure teachers’ ability to support students and to show them how to protect their rights, because at the end of the day, this problem was made by adults, and children shouldn’t suffer for their actions,” Cano said.
Bridgette Allen, area middle schools superintendent, issued an apology to the families about what she describes as a “school meeting related to immigration, ICE agents, and raids.”
“We apologize if these discussions caused any unnecessary concern for you or your family,” Allen said in a statement. “District leadership is actively reviewing the nature of these discussions, and we will inform you if any new information becomes available.”
On Dec. 10, the district sent a letter to all district families and staff noting that leadership is reviewing the federal developments, monitoring guidance from state and federal agencies, and ensuring schools have the most current and accurate information. Currently, ICE has not made contact with any DeKalb County Schools, Norman Sauce, interim superintendent, said in a statement.
“We are meeting with principals this week to review district protocols,” Sauce said. “Our school staff is aware that all teaching and discussions must align to Georgia K-12 Standards. Staff have also been reminded that if immigration authorities arrive at a school, they must be directed to the school administrator, who will immediately notify the DCSD Police Department and document the visit.”
In the letter, Sauce encouraged students to speak with their school counselors if they need support.
Camila Chiquiza, a Sequoyah Middle alum who also spoke at the board meeting, said the dangers affecting students calls for a broader revision of protocols related to immigration.
“We are in a crisis. Students and family members are being kidnapped and sent to inhumane detention centers where many have died or disappeared to never be heard from again,” Chiquiza said. “It’s imperative for the school district to revise its protocol and adjust to the dangers affecting our students. The school staff must be aware of the steps to follow if ICE breaks the law, as they often do.”