Durham Schools Expand Mental Health Support for Latino Students

(DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA) As a federal immigration enforcement crackdown spreads across North Carolina’s Triangle region, Durham Public Schools are racing to keep classrooms full and students calm, especially the Latino students who make up about 35% of the district’s enrollment. District leaders say they have seen attendance among Latino children drop in recent days as families grow more worried about being stopped, detained, or watched by immigration officers on their way to school or work.

Superintendent Dr. Anthony Lewis and school counselors report that some students are asking if it is safe to leave home at all, while others are showing up to class visibly anxious and distracted. According to the district, parents have called schools in tears, afraid that going out in public could put them or their relatives at risk during the ongoing immigration enforcement crackdown. In some neighborhoods, community groups say families are keeping children indoors for days at a time.

District mental health and emotional support

In response, Durham Public Schools have put together several layers of mental health and emotional support aimed at helping students process what is happening.

• Counselors like Carmen Ramos are holding one-on-one sessions and small group meetings where children can talk about their fears in English or Spanish.
• Staff are trained to watch for warning signs such as sudden silence, stomach aches, or crying, which can all be reactions to stress about immigration raids and federal agents.
• The district emphasizes honest, age-appropriate conversations to avoid increasing panic that spreads through social media and group chats.

Safety assurances and campus protocols

School leaders stress that campuses remain safe places for all families, regardless of immigration status. The district has repeated its long-standing rule that it does not ask students or parents about their immigration status and does not keep that kind of information in school records.

To reinforce safety:

• Strict visitor rules apply to anyone entering a school building, including federal officers.
• Every visitor must follow set procedures at the front office before being allowed into student areas.
• Staff are trained to follow protocol if law enforcement appears on campus.
• Families are being reminded of these steps through calls, emails, and printed notices.

Communication efforts

Communication has become a major focus. Durham Public Schools are sending out reassurance messages in both English and Spanish, explaining safety protocols and urging families to keep sending children to school.

• These messages describe schools as secure spaces focused on learning, not immigration checks.
• According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, many districts nationwide have adopted similar approaches during periods of heightened federal enforcement, but Durham’s large share of Latino students makes the current situation especially sensitive.

Key takeaway: The district’s core message to families is simple — school is still a safe place for children to learn, even during this immigration enforcement crackdown.

Classroom impacts and student experiences

Teachers and counselors describe clear emotional effects in classrooms:

• Some children ask what will happen if a parent is taken while they are at school.
• Others talk about relatives who are too scared to drive or go to work.
• Students have been observed jumping at loud noises in the hallway or clinging to younger siblings during drop-off.

Educators are trying to:

1. Answer questions in honest, age-appropriate ways.
2. Avoid adding to panic that spreads quickly through social media and chats.
3. Keep students engaged in learning despite the stress.

Community partnerships and resources

The district is working closely with community organizations that serve immigrant families. These groups are distributing “Know Your Rights” information in English and Spanish, explaining what people can do if they encounter immigration agents at home, at work, or in public spaces.

• Schools are not providing legal advice but are pointing families to trusted groups for accurate information.
• Families seeking general federal information about immigration enforcement policies are directed to official government resources such as the public guidance on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement website.

Guidance for parents and guardians

At home, Durham Public Schools ask parents and guardians to talk openly with their children about what they are hearing and feeling.

• Administrators recommend calm, simple conversations that match each child’s age and maturity.
• They caution that saying nothing can lead children to imagine worst-case scenarios from fragments of information they hear.
• Parents are encouraged to remind children that teachers, counselors, and principals are there to help keep them safe during the school day.

Broader regional context

The broader Triangle region has seen similar waves of worry during past enforcement pushes, but community leaders say the current climate feels especially tense.

• Reports of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents operating in the area have spread quickly, fueling concern that people could be stopped on regular errands.
• Even though schools are not supposed to be primary targets for immigration actions, the presence of more federal officers nearby is enough to alarm families with mixed immigration status, where some members are citizens and others are not.

For Latino students, fear often extends beyond their own status. Many were born in the United States 🇺🇸 and are citizens, yet worry about parents, older siblings, or extended family members who lack legal papers. Counselors describe children who feel guilty about leaving home for class when a parent stays behind, or who cannot focus on schoolwork because they are thinking about what might be happening at home.

Academic and social consequences

School officials warn that missing class now could have long-term effects:

• Extended absences can lead to falling behind academically.
• Students risk losing connections with friends and feeling even more isolated.
• Durham Public Schools are working to prevent this by ensuring buses run, doors stay open, and staff are ready to meet students wherever they are emotionally.

Community support beyond schools

Community members say the burden cannot fall on schools alone. Faith groups, local nonprofits, and neighborhood leaders are stepping in with support:

• Organizing information sessions, childcare networks, and mental health workshops.
• Coordinating rides for parents who are afraid to drive so children can still get to school.
• Checking in with families who have stopped appearing in community spaces.

Ongoing monitoring and outlook

For now, district officials say they will keep monitoring attendance data, especially for Latino students, and adjust supports as needed. They expect emotional effects to last beyond the current enforcement push and plan to keep mental health resources in place even after media attention moves on.

• Administrators emphasize that for many Durham families, fear tied to immigration status is a daily reality — not a short-term news event — and it shapes whether children feel safe enough to step onto the school bus each morning.