Minneapolis Schools Offer Remote Learning Due to ICE Activity—After Saying They Could Only Do So for 'Severe Weather'

The Minneapolis public school system is offering remote learning until Feb. 12 amid unrest over immigration enforcement in the city, a move that came shortly after the school said "e-learning" is "only allowable for severe weather."

Minneapolis Federation of Teachers president Marcia Howard said the district will allow students to learn from home for the next month, calling the decision "exactly what so many families need right now." Remote schooling will be optional, according to Howard, and classes will still be offered in person.

The announcement contradicts recent district statements. When the district announced Wednesday that it was canceling school for the following two days, it said it would "not move to e-learning because that is only allowable for severe weather."

Columbia Heights and Fridley school districts also announced temporary shifts to remote instruction, while other districts said they are reviewing security protocols and coordinating with local authorities. State officials have acknowledged broader safety concerns but have not announced additional statewide measures for schools, according to KSTP.

Remote schooling received criticism from Minnesota parents in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic. In a 2020 survey of Minnesota families—half of whom had children in Minneapolis public schools—respondents often reported that they didn’t have adequate technology to maintain distance learning and that it was damaging to their children’s education. Students in Minneapolis were less likely than their peers elsewhere in the state to feel prepared for remote learning, and students also complained about the lack of interaction with their teachers and classmates.

The federal government expanded its immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota as it investigates the rampant Somali welfare fraud that is roiling the state. Much of the fraud was uncovered after a group of mostly Somali immigrants set up a fraudulent charity, Feeding Our Future, and stole money from a federal child nutrition program. Federal investigations into the scandal have already led to 98 people being charged and over 64 convictions. The White House on Thursday announced that it will create a new fraud division of the Department of Justice to pursue scams that target federal programs and nonprofits.

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