Texas opens investigations into school districts for allowing student protests against ICE

"Following several weeks of student protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced this week that he will open formal investigations into three major school districts in the state. These new inquiries come in addition to the ongoing investigation against the Austin Independent School District (Austin ISD), from which Paxton demanded information in early February, alleging that its officials knowingly allowed students to leave campus during the school day to participate in the protests."

"On January 30, students from a dozen Austin ISD campuses walked out of their classrooms and marched with signs to the state Capitol to protest the events in Minnesota during the massive immigration operation in the state, including the killing of two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, by immigration agents. In the following weeks, similar walkouts took place in San Antonio, Dallas, Waco, El Paso, Houston, and Fort Worth."

"Most of the organizers said they acted with planning and in accordance with the law. It's about time students like this were arrested [...] Schools and staff who allow this behavior should be treated as co-conspirators and should not be immune for criminal behavior, wrote Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott on X on February 3. He also threatened to cut state funding to districts that allowed walkouts."

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton opened formal investigations into three major school districts after several weeks of student protests targeting ICE operations. The investigations add to an existing probe of Austin ISD, which Paxton alleges allowed students to leave campus during the school day to join demonstrations. Students from multiple Austin campuses marched to the state Capitol on January 30, and similar walkouts spread across San Antonio, Dallas, Waco, El Paso, Houston, and Fort Worth. Organizers maintain they planned actions lawfully. Governor Greg Abbott threatened arrests and funding cuts, while the Education Agency warned of absences, license losses, and potential state takeovers. Civil organizations cautioned about possible political reprisals.

Read at english.elpais.com