SPRINGFIELD — Federal immigration agents could make their way to Springfield as early as next week, as thousands of Haitian immigrants are set to lose their temporary status.
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Springfield City Schools sent a message to its staff, saying that although circumstances are still evolving, the most important message is that school district operations will continue without interruption.
Superintendent Robert Hill said he learned a federal immigration enforcement initiative may begin on Feb. 4 and last 30 days after a meeting with state leadership.
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At this time, the district said only limited verified information is available, and all decision-making authority remains entirely with the federal government.
Hill said they do know that federal officers have a list of individual removal orders in the city.
He said there is no indication that federal officers will enter schools or be present on school grounds.
Hill said schools remain safe, secure, and under the control of school administration and law enforcement partners.
At the city commission meeting Tuesday night, Mayor Rob Rue passed a resolution urging federal law enforcement to follow local policies on officer identification and mask use.
Springfield Law Director Jill Allen said that’s just merely a suggestion, and the city cannot regulate federal policy.
“We have maintained open dialogue with the Department of Homeland Security to better understand federal processes and procedures,” Rue said. “At this time, there is no confirmed information regarding federal enforcement activity in our community.”
A lot of people at that city commission meeting were concerned about how this would impact schools.
The district said that, despite a lot of details being unclear, they are preparing for various situations.
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