hen federal authorities detained the father of a Maryland student in late April, the 17-year-old feared his education would end overnight. With his mother recovering from cancer surgery and two younger siblings depending on him, he told a teacher he would need to quit school and find work.
“It was a cry for help,” Tess Hiller, head of Montgomery Blair High School’s English Language Development program, told Newsweek. Teachers quickly stepped in to offer support, navigating a complex legal and emotional situation that has become increasingly familiar to some educators.
As the Trump administration steps up immigration enforcement nationwide, the impact is hitting schools, especially those serving immigrant and multilingual communities. Educators are not just witnesses to the consequences of enforcement operations—they are often the first to respond.
“This is my sixth year leading Montgomery Blair’s English Language Development program. MCPS does not ask about immigration status, and schools are meant to be safe havens,” Hiller said.
“Each student’s story is different, but many have already lived through instability and separation, and I consider it both my duty and honor to ensure that they know they are safe and valued here,” she added.
The student’s father, Bonifacio Ruiz Rosales, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on April 29 near a National Security Agency facility in Maryland. While the family described him as a mechanic en route to work, the Department of Homeland Security said he was attempting to enter a secure federal installation without authorization.
The ELD program at Montgomery Blair supports immigrant students still learning English while managing academic coursework. The student’s family, originally from Guatemala, has been in the U.S. since 2019, and his mother does not speak English.
The teachers provided Newsweek with a statement on the student’s behalf, who spoke on his father’s arrest, noting that he wished to remain anonymous due to fear of reprisals. The student consented to his father being named in this story.
“They took a man who was a worker. Someone who worked to improve his family’s situation,” he said.
In a direct appeal to the president, the student called for compassion and a more targeted approach to immigration enforcement.
“What he’s [President Trump] doing is right, but he needs to target the delinquents, murderers, rapists, etc., not hardworking people. He’s destroying families who only want to get ahead. Target the bad people, not the good, hard-working people,” he said.
According to the family, Bonifacio Ruiz Rosales was detained by ICE between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. on April 29, near an army installation between Laurel and Baltimore.
Ruiz Rosales, who works as a mechanic, had been heading to a job, according to the family’s account. He was taken first to a Baltimore detention center, then transferred on May 6 to the Karnes County Immigration Processing Center in Texas.
A spokesperson for DHS disputed the family’s account, saying that Ruiz Rosales was not en route to a job, but instead attempting to unlawfully enter a federal facility.
“Another sob story from the mainstream media,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “This illegal alien was not on his way to a job—he was attempting to enter a National Security Agency Building.
“On April 29, 2025, National Security Agency police reported Bonifacio Ruiz Rosales, an illegal alien, was attempting to enter a National Security Agency facility. He was then arrested and taken into ICE custody.
“Ruiz illegally entered the country with his son. We are not ignoring the rule of law.
“Parents who are here illegally can take control of their departure with the CBP Home App. The United States is offering aliens illegal aliens $1,000 apiece and a free flight to self-deport now. We encourage every person here illegally to take advantage of this offer and reserve the chance to come back to the U.S. the right legal way to live American dream. If not, you will be arrested and deported without a chance to return.”
An NSA spokesperson said: “On April 29, 2025, a vehicle approached an NSA facility with two occupants. The driver did not have the proper credentials to enter the secure facility and was directed by NSA Police to the rejection area for further checks, per standard operating procedures.”
The student learned of the detention hours later, through a call from the family’s pastor. The arrest left the mother, who is recovering from breast cancer, and her five children in crisis.
Jillian Villars, the student’s ELD teacher, described the moment the school came together to offer help during the difficult time.
“My supervisor informed me that ICE had detained my student’s father. My colleagues and I immediately reached out to the family. A 17-year-old boy suddenly became the ‘adult’ in his family with two younger siblings”, she said.
“His mom does not speak English and has been traumatized by the detainment of her husband, so he has stepped up to navigate the crisis for his family.
“He is juggling the responsibilities of school, work, legal and financial maneuvering, and providing for the basic needs of his mom and younger siblings.”
Teachers have said that immigration policy has hindered students’ ability to focus in class. Hiller said the fear is widespread and growing within school halls.
In January, President Donald Trump granted ICE agents the power to conduct enforcement operations inside sensitive locations such as schools. As his administration pushes forward its deportation policy, schools are bracing for more family separations.
Immigration was one of the issues that helped Trump win the 2024 election, with polls showing a majority favored his tougher approach. Since them, support has slipped, and ideological divides have become wider.
According to a CNN poll conducted by SSRS in April, 52 per cent said Trump had gone too far with deportations, up from 45 percent in February. Fifty-seven percent said that they did not believe the federal government was being careful in following the law while carrying out deportations.
Republican support for Trump’s immigration policies remains high, with 94 percent saying they have confidence in him to handle the issue, the poll found, but 85 percent of Democrats said he had gone too far.
Hiller said that after the 2016 election, which Trump also won, attendance dropped as some families were “too fearful to even send their children to the bus stop.”
In 2025, while the community initially reacted more quietly, concern and anxiety have grown, Hiller said.
“The uncertainty makes it incredibly hard for students to focus, plan for their futures, or feel safe,” she said.
Villars said that although the immigration process has always been challenging for families, the current level of confusion is unlike anything she has ever seen before.
She and her colleagues have been working quickly to learn more about immigration issues affecting their school community. They’ve created an immigration support committee to ensure students and families receive guidance.
Natalia Guerrido, an ELD teacher at the school who leads the committee, said in a statement: “ICE is more visible and our students may be more ready to learn how to assert their rights and prepare with their families.”
Guerrido has hosted Know Your Rights nights sessions to inform students of their legal protections during encounters with ICE.
She assisted the student in sending money to his father so he could make phone calls and access the internet while in detention.
“I wanted to learn in detail the day-to-day he was managing and help him figure out what to do,” Guerrido said.
Support for the student’s family grew quickly, even with limited resources. A teacher contacted a University of Maryland law professor, who launched a fundraising effort on their behalf.
“None of us teachers are responsible for the fundraiser, and our own donations are through our personal means. That said, school leadership has been fully supportive,” Hiller said.
For the student caught in the crosshairs of the government’s crackdown on immigration, the actions of his teachers have brought a sense of comfort.
“You are my community,” he said.
“They’ve helped with advice, setting up the account to send money to my father, food for my family, finding a good lawyer, and raising funds for bail and legal costs.”
