Trump Immigration Crackdown Disrupts Child-Care Workers and Preschools

Not long after President Donald Trump took office in January, staff at CentroNía, a bilingual preschool in a historically Latino Washington neighborhood, began rehearsing what to do if Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents appeared at the door. As ICE became a regular presence in the area over the summer, teachers stopped taking children to nearby parks, libraries and playgrounds that had once served as extensions of the classroom.

Flor Perez encourages her class of 2-year-olds in a walk around the school in lieu of outdoor walks around the neighborhood during school time at CentroNia in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

In October the school canceled its Hispanic Heritage Month parade — normally a festive event where immigrant parents dress children in traditional costumes and soccer jerseys — because staff feared the event might draw unwanted attention after agents had begun stopping employees, even those with legal status and work authorization.

Belkis Mendez, builds with a Prek-5 student during playtime in their classroom at CentroNia in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Operational changes and fear
CentroNía’s CEO, Myrna Peralta, said the school requires staff to have legal status and verified work authorization, but the mere presence of ICE has reshaped daily operations. "That really dominates all of our decision making," Peralta said. Rather than neighborhood walks, staff now push children in strollers down hallways; a classroom was converted into a small library after the preschool ended a partnership with a local public library to avoid outside trips.

Celenia Romero reads to her Prek-5 students in the library at CentroNia in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

A high-profile arrest and official response
Those precautions preceded a much-publicized October incident in Chicago when ICE officials arrested a teacher — who held a work permit and was later released — after she fled into a Spanish-immersion preschool while a vehicle was being pursued. Tricia McLaughlin, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, said the arrest took place in the vestibule and defended the operation, noting agents are advised to exercise "common sense."

Edelmira Kitchen, a teaching artist at CentroNia, poses for a portrait in a classroom at CentroNia in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

The immigrant workforce in early education
Immigrants are a significant part of the early childhood workforce: about one-fifth of U.S. child-care workers are foreign-born and roughly one-fifth are Latino. In some large cities and jurisdictions — including Washington, D.C., California and New York — the share of foreign-born child-care workers approaches 40%, according to UC Berkeley’s Center for the Study of Child Care Employment. Research also finds immigrant early-education workers are often more highly educated than U.S.-born peers and help meet demand for bilingual and Spanish-language programs.

Celenia Romero reads to her Prek-5 students in the library at CentroNia in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Legal status, policy changes and job losses
Most immigrant early-education workers were living and working legally in the U.S. as of 2021: the American Immigration Council estimated more than three-quarters held legal status. Still, recent administration actions have removed protections for hundreds of thousands of people with Temporary Protected Status (TPS), forcing many to lose jobs or leave the country. Last month, roughly 300,000 Venezuelans lost TPS; CentroNía reported losing two employees after they lost TPS, and Tierra Encantada, which operates Spanish-immersion preschools across several states, said a dozen teachers left after losing TPS protections.

Edelmira Kitchen, a teaching artist at CentroNia, poses for a portrait in a classroom at CentroNia in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Mental health and classroom impacts
Even employees legally authorized to work report heightened fear. At CentroNía, one staffer was detained while walking and held for several hours before being released; another staff member, a U.S. citizen, says she was pulled over and questioned by ICE on her way to work. Site director Joangelee Hernández-Figueroa said increased ICE activity has taken a toll on staff mental health: some teachers have had panic attacks and required hospital care. When the city sent mental-health consultants earlier this year, school leaders asked they work with staff rather than students to mitigate the risk of teachers' distress affecting classroom care. "If the teachers aren't good," Hernández-Figueroa said, "the kids won't be good either."

Celenia Romero reads to her Prek-5 students as they play in the library at CentroNia in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Effects on children and broader communities
Children also show stress after nearby immigration enforcement. At Guidepost Montessori School in Portland, Oregon, staff reported changes in preschoolers' behavior following an ICE arrest near the school: the school went into lockdown, children were pulled from playgrounds, and teachers used loud music and group singing to drown out the commotion. Staff observed more emotional outbursts and more children seeking the school's "regulation station," a calming area with fidget toys.

Educators and administrators warn these disruptions and the associated fear are not limited to low-income neighborhoods: they can affect preschools across socioeconomic lines. "With the current situation, more and more of us are likely to experience this kind of trauma," said Amy Lomanto of the Portland school. "That level of fear now is permeating a lot more throughout our society."

Context: The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content.