Wake school board member compares U.S. immigration raids to ‘domestic terrorism’
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Wake County school board condemned Border Patrol raids and called them domestic terrorism.
- Families kept students home; board urged flexible attendance and remote learning options.
- Board highlighted trauma, urged community dialogue and protections for immigrant families.
Multiple Wake County school board members and public speakers denounced the ongoing Border Patrol operations in the Triangle, comparing the actions on Tuesday to domestic terrorism.
Student attendance is believed to be down in Wake County schools as an immigrant rights group says at least 12 people in the Triangle were detained Tuesday by federal immigration agents. Wake County school board members said they stand in solidarity with families, including those who have not entered the country legally.
“It was extremely hard to focus on today’s board business knowing that people in our community — and particularly Wake County Public School families — were potentially subject to what I would describe as a form of domestic terrorism,” said school board member Lynn Edmonds. “The presence of ICE, whether it’s here in Wake County or elsewhere causes real unnecessary long-term trauma.”
The Wake school board is officially non-partisan but has a 6-2 Democratic majority. One seat is vacant. Throughout the year, board members have been vocal in their criticism of the Trump administration and state Republican legislative leaders.
On Tuesday, Wake County Superintendent Robert Taylor sent a note to families saying the district’s primary mission is to “provide a safe, welcoming, and inclusive learning environment for every single child, regardless of immigration status.”
Ask people to understand fear of racial profiling
The ongoing ICE operations have produced outrage from some people, particularly among immigrants. People who entered the country legally have also expressed fear about being detained and deported by immigration agents.
School board chair Chris Heagarty asked people who don’t understand why some are upset to talk to someone who has been racially profiled or is worried about their personal safety.
“If they just take the time to talk with someone who is experiencing that fear, that anxiety,” Heagarty said. “Learn about their life experiences and why this is a concern, why what they or their family or their parents have been through, I hope it will create more understanding and more dialogue.”
‘Fear and trauma’ of ICE agents coming to schools
School board vice chair Tyler Swanson quoted from part of the poem “The New Colossus” on the Statue of Liberty, which welcomes immigrants to the United States.
“Our students deserve to be in a community and a place where they can feel safe seen and heard and learning without having to worry about distractions that students should not have to worry about at their age,” Swanson said.
Board member Christina Gordon said the fear that is created when ICE activity is reported in the community is real.
“Our schools must remain places of safety, stability and trust for every student and family who walk through our doors,” Gordon said. “When families worry that simply bringing their child to school could put them at risk, learning becomes secondary to fear.”
Edmonds, the board member, said children are in fear of “bands of masked men and women, armed head to toe, indiscriminately showing up in public spaces, neighborhoods, businesses and even public schools.”
“Whether that happened in Wake County schools or not today is not the point,” Edmonds said. “The threat that they could show up in our schools, that fear and trauma imposed on our children will be with them for the rest of their lives.”
Families keep children home because they’re ‘afraid’
Several speakers during the public comment section of the meeting condemned the Border Patrol operations. Speakers asked Wake to do more to help students and teachers who are worried about being arrested and deported.
Amanda Paoloni told the school board that she had to warn her eighth grade daughter from engaging in a physical confrontation to protect her best friend. Paoloni said her daughter told her there’s no way she’d let an “unidentified armed masked man take my best friend without a fight.”
“This is not a conversation about learning,” Paoloni said. “That is a conversation about survival. Children can not learn when they’re in survival mode.”
Parent Irene Godinez said Wake County schools should take steps such as adopt a non-punitive attendance policy during the immigration enforcement surge. Godinez said Wake needs to provide flexible learning options for students who are fearful of going to in-person classes.
“Families are keeping children home today and likely the rest of this week because they’re afraid,” Godinez said. “These are safety decisions, not truancy.”
A similar message came from parent Emily Gaeta.
“Safety decisions must not become disciplinary records,” Gaeta said. “Fear-based absences reflect trauma and not neglect.”
In its message Tuesday to parents, Wake said teachers are ready to work with families to make sure learning can continue even if their child is absent. Wake said teachers can provide classwork or learning activities that can be completed from home..
School board member Sam Hershey thanked the people who spoke out at the board meeting and who have marched in protests against the Border Patrol operations.
“I will never back down,” Hershey said. “Diversity makes us stronger.”
This story was originally published November 18, 2025 at 9:59 PM.
