School District Seeks Talks on ICE Activity

Sacramento City Unified's superintendent asked city officials to meet about communication when immigration agents are spotted near schools.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Administration

Bold flat-color editorial illustration of a low-rise school facade and empty forecourt in the foreground with a distant civic building and flagpole, rendered in deep red, cream, and slate, evoking institutional tension. — Sacramento City Unified Superintendent Cancy McArn asked city officials, including City Manager Maraskeshia Smith and Mayor McCarty, to meet after ICE agents were spotted near an elementary school. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Should local police notify schools when immigration agents are operating nearby?

Sacramento City Unified School District Superintendent Cancy McArn sent a letter to City Manager Maraskeshia Smith requesting a meeting after ICE agents were spotted near Ethel Phillips Elementary School in south Sacramento during afterschool pickup. Smith issued a directive that police shall not be dispatched to assist ICE agents solely because people are observing or recording their activities.

Why it matters

The dispute centers on whether Sacramento police should notify school officials about immigration enforcement near campuses, a step city attorneys warned could be seen as interfering with federal enforcement. Families face fear and uncertainty, and the district says it needs verified information to protect students.

Sacramento City Unified adopted its safe haven policy in 2017, and Councilmember Lisa Kaplan's informal notification process covers Natomas, Twin Rivers and Robla school districts and local charter schools. City attorneys advised that notifying school officials could be interpreted as interfering with federal immigration enforcement.

The players

Cancy McArn

Superintendent of Sacramento City Unified School District, who requested the meeting with city officials about ICE communication.

Maraskeshia Smith

Sacramento City Manager who issued the directive restricting police dispatch to assist ICE agents solely for observing or recording.

Kevin McCarty

Mayor of Sacramento who suggested a notification policy was unlikely.

The details

Superintendent McArn's letter requests a meeting with Smith, Mayor McCarty, interim Police Chief Zachary Bales and several council members. Trustees earlier asked the council to be notified when police learn of immigration enforcement near schools, and Trustee Jasjit Singh argued the district needs verified information to protect students.

Thursday: Mayor McCarty suggested a notification policy was unlikely at the State of the City address.
Last week: School trustees addressed the City Council about ICE activity near Ethel Phillips Elementary.
Friday: Superintendent McArn sent the letter requesting a meeting.
Effective immediately: Smith's directive restricting police dispatch to ICE operations takes effect.

Season Trajectory

The dispute builds on Sacramento City Unified's safe haven policy adopted in 2017, which set the district's stance on protecting students from immigration enforcement. Whether the city adopts formal notification rules will determine if the district's 2017 commitment extends into day-to-day police coordination.

Families at schools near immigration enforcement activity may need to plan pickups and drop-offs around district communications. Parents can expect that the outcome of the requested meeting will shape how and when they receive word of nearby ICE activity.

The takeaway

Clear communication between schools and city agencies shapes how families respond when immigration enforcement reaches campus neighborhoods. Watching whether the requested meeting produces a formal policy will show how Sacramento balances enforcement limits with school safety.