Minneapolis Public Schools offer remote learning through Feb. 12 amid ICE enforcement fallout
Minneapolis Public Schools announced an e-learning option running through Feb. 12, 2026, framed as a safety and stability measure in response to ongoing federal ICE enforcement operations; the district said families can opt in, provided details on eligible grades and schools, and will monitor attendance and review the remote option’s duration. The decision follows reports of elevated absenteeism — including at Jenny Lind Elementary, where parent Destiny Prosper says many students are staying home and has launched a GoFundMe and donation drive because children are missing school meals and basic necessities amid fear of raids.
📌 Key Facts
- Minneapolis Public Schools is offering an e-learning/remote learning option that is explicitly set to run through Feb. 12, 2026.
- MPS frames the remote option primarily as a safety and stability measure in response to ongoing federal immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis, not solely the immediate aftermath of the Renee Good shooting.
- The district issued updated statements about safety and attendance patterns, saying the remote option will be reviewed during the enforcement period and intended to reduce community fear and disruption.
- MPS provided additional practical details for families on how to opt into remote learning and which grades/schools are eligible.
- At Jenny Lind Elementary in north Minneapolis many students are now absent; parent Destiny Prosper reports her 6-year-old asking where classmates have gone.
- Destiny Prosper has launched a GoFundMe and is collecting gift cards and donations to buy and deliver food and basic necessities for Jenny Lind families afraid to leave home during ICE raids.
- Many Jenny Lind families are low-income or immigrant households whose children rely on free school breakfast and lunch, and fear of ICE enforcement is keeping children from both school and meals.
📊 Relevant Data
The ICE enforcement surge in Minnesota, known as Operation Metro Surge, is primarily targeting Somali immigrants due to investigations into widespread fraud in public programs, with federal officials noting that the majority of those charged in recent fraud cases are Somali.
Report: ICE headed to Twin Cities targeting Somali immigrants — Minnesota Reformer
Somali immigrants in Minnesota have been implicated in fraud schemes totaling nearly $1 billion, primarily in pandemic-era social services billing fraud, representing the state's largest welfare scandal.
How Misreading Somali Poverty Led Minnesota into Its Largest Welfare Scandal — American Enterprise Institute
Noncitizens, including Somali immigrants, were underrepresented in welfare fraud convictions in 2024, comprising 15.3% of convictions while making up 16.7% of the immigrant population in Minnesota.
Noncitizens Were Underrepresented in Welfare Fraud Convictions in 2024 — Cato Institute
Somali Minnesotans generate at least $500 million in annual income and pay about $67 million in state and local taxes, contributing significantly to the state's economy.
Somali Minnesotans drive economic growth, pay $67M taxes annually — KSTP
Immigration enforcement actions, such as raids, lead to increased student absences, with a study showing a 5-10% rise in absenteeism among Latino students in affected areas during early 2025.
Somali immigration to Minnesota surged in the 1990s due to the Somali civil war, with resettlement facilitated by U.S. refugee programs and voluntary agencies like Lutheran Social Services and Catholic Charities.
How Minnesota became a hub for Somali immigrants in the U.S. — NPR
📰 Source Timeline (4)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- At Jenny Lind Elementary in north Minneapolis, parent Destiny Prosper reports many students are now absent, and her 6‑year‑old daughter is asking where classmates have gone.
- Prosper has launched a GoFundMe and is collecting gift cards and other donations to buy and deliver food and basic necessities specifically for Jenny Lind families afraid to leave home amid ICE raids.
- She notes many Jenny Lind families are low‑income or immigrants whose kids rely on free school breakfast and lunch, and says fear of ICE is now keeping children from both school and meals.
- Confirms that the district’s e-learning option is explicitly set to run through Feb. 12, 2026, rather than being an open‑ended 'month-long' concept.
- Clarifies that the remote option is being framed by MPS primarily as a safety and stability measure in response to ongoing ICE operations and community fear, not just the immediate aftermath of the Renee Good shooting.
- Provides additional practical details about eligibility/participating school levels (such as which grades or school types are included) and how families opt in, beyond the earlier high‑level description.
- Clarifies that the remote-learning option is framed explicitly as a response to ongoing federal immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis, not just the immediate aftermath of the Renee Good shooting.
- Provides additional detail on how families can opt into remote learning and which grades or schools are covered, beyond the initial strike-avoidance framing.
- Adds updated district statements/quotes about safety, student attendance patterns, and the expected duration and review of the remote option during the enforcement period.