Chicago Public Schools Allows Open‑Ended Excused Absences for Undocumented Students Who Cite Fear of Immigration Enforcement

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) has a written policy that permits undocumented students to receive excused absences if a parent or guardian reports fear of federal immigration enforcement in the area. The directive, titled "Attendance Coding for Safety Concerns Related to Federal Representative Activity," was obtained by the education watchdog Defending Education and was reaffirmed by the school board in February.

How the policy works

Under the guidance, a parent or guardian who reports an absence and attributes it to fear of what the memo calls "federal representative-related procedures" may have the absence marked as excused under the category "concern for student health and safety." Staff are instructed to enter "concern for student health and safety" in the memo field; no additional details about the absence are required.

The document explicitly states that "CPS policy does not provide a time limit" on how long fear of federal immigration enforcement can justify excused absences. For an absence to be recorded as excused, the reason must be communicated through one of the district's approved methods. The policy also allows a parent who is "impacted by federal representative-related procedures" to designate a guardian to notify the school that the child needs an excused absence.

Additional provisions

The same guidance permits excused absences for students attending a "Civic Event," defined as an event sponsored by a non-profit organization or governmental entity that is open to the public and may include artistic, cultural, or educational gatherings that align with the sponsor's mission.

Criticism and context

"Chicago Public Schools is effectively telling families that fear of federal law enforcement is a standing excuse to keep children out of class with no time limit and no paper trail," said Kendall Tietz, an investigative reporter with Defending Education. "CPS should not be turning attendance policy into a sanctuary immigration tool. Instead, public schools should be focused on getting kids to school and keeping accurate records."

Critics argue the policy could weaken attendance accountability and complicate cooperation with federal authorities, while supporters contend it protects student safety and family welfare during enforcement activity. The district reported receiving more than $1.5 billion in federal funding in fiscal year 2024. Its Office of Inspector General recently flagged $14.5 million in travel expenses as "excessive" for FY2023–24, and academic outcomes remain a concern: in spring 2024, only 30.5% of CPS students in grades 3–8 were proficient in reading and 18.3% were proficient in math.

The policy document was shared publicly by Defending Education. CPS did not provide a response to a request for comment on the memo.