Test scores for U.S. and foreign-born Spanish-speaking students have declined as the Trump administration has conducted more aggressive immigration enforcement.
That’s at least the case in Florida, where illegal immigration enforcement reflects the priorities of the Trump administration to protect Americans “against invasion.”
In August, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the results of a first-of-its-kind law enforcement operation targeting illegal immigration—the Panhandle Immigration Enforcement Operation. It’s part of a multi-agency immigration enforcement detail targeting illegal aliens with criminal records, fugitives and repeat immigration violators.
The operation sends one message: “Florida will not tolerate lawlessness within its borders,” according to a press release. As of Aug. 22, nearly 200 individuals had been apprehended.
Such enforcement led to reports of increased fear among families at the start of the school year. In Miami-Dade County, at least 82,000 students are English language learners, many of whom come from “mixed-status” families, where members have varying immigration statuses, the Miami Herald reports.
In April, several Florida universities also signed agreements to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to aid the federal government in its immigration crackdown, according to CNN. The agreement, 287(g), allows local law enforcement to act as immigration officers.
“We can confirm that we have signed the 287(g) agreement,” a University of Florida spokesperson told the news outlet at the time. The agreement delegates to local officers “the authority to perform specified immigration officer functions under the agency’s direction and oversight,” according to the Department of Homeland Security.
What the research says
A working paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research reveals first-of-its-kind data from a large urban school district in Florida and the effects of the surge in immigration apprehensions.
While test scores have dropped, students are less likely to be involved in disciplinary incidents at school. These effects were especially pronounced among middle and high school students.
The behavioral change likely results from students’ overall fear of arrest by immigration authorities. They are also getting more support from their school, including more sympathy from administrators when addressing misbehavior.
“Teachers and principals might be more lenient towards similar behaviors from students who experience hardships due to increased immigration enforcement,” the research reads.
Read the working paper here.
More from DA: 5 concerns students now have about AI
