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In a recent initiative, officials from the Parent Teacher Association in one of America’s most affluent school districts organized a training session to help families respond to activities by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
This virtual session took place on January 20 in Montgomery County, Maryland, and was led by Councilwoman Kristin Mink. Titled “ICE Response & Organizing Tools for PTAs, Parents & Guardians,” the meeting aimed to equip families with the necessary knowledge and strategies to deal with ICE-related situations.
The session, as reported by the National Review, is not Mink’s first attempt to educate schools on methods to delay ICE operations and ensure community protection. It provided parents with guidance on supporting students whose parents may be undocumented immigrants. The training also encouraged volunteers to observe ICE activities during school drop-offs and pickups and suggested ways to assist families impacted by ICE arrests and deportations.
During the training, Mink shared a detailed “rapid response” guide she had authored and made publicly available just days prior. This guide offered practical steps for immediate community action in response to ICE presence.
One of the slides presented by Mink focused on the role of “White allies” within the community. She advised against using whistles as a means of protest against “ICE violence,” a common method employed in community defense efforts. Mink argued that the use of whistles could be perceived as reinforcing authority linked to Whiteness, suggesting that allies explore alternative forms of support.
Kristin Mink addresses a protest against President Donald Trump in front of the White House in Washington, DC, on August 6, 2018. (NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images)
“Especially for White allies, whistles can represent a subconscious desire for authority, protection, or control in moments of crisis,” the slide said.
“But rapid response is not about assuming authority. . . . When we question decisions made by those impacted, we risk centering our own comfort instead of impacted people.”
She added that “What feels ‘activating’ or empowering to some can cause stress to others,” noting that “Black and Brown communities are already overexposed to chronic noise pollution due to racist zoning, redlining, and disinvestment.”
She further addressed, in the slide, how certain characteristics — such as gender, sexuality, and education — align with positions of power or marginalization.
Cars park outside Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, Maryland on June 12, 2025. (Robb Hill/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Last September, the Department of Homeland Security clarified that, contrary to what it described as “fearmongering” by sanctuary politicians, “ICE is not conducting enforcement operations at, or ‘raiding,’ schools.”
Mink’s presentation aligns with a recent wave within the anti-ICE movement, where immigrant-led organizations clashed with predominantly White “rapid response” activists over the use of whistles during immigration raids. Groups like the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network (WAISN) and Maryland-based coalitions argue that blowing whistles is a “White Savior” tactic that creates unnecessary panic and escalates tension.
The Jan. 20 meeting sparked further controversy, with critics arguing that parent-teacher organizations should prioritize academic success rather than engaging in political activism.
“It goes without saying, PTAs should focus on their original intent: students — not injecting inflammatory and divisive political rhetoric into the community,” Kendall Tietz, investigative reporter at Defending Education, told the National Review.
Kristin Mink at the Montgomery County Council Office Building in Rockville, Maryland on January 14, 2025. (Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The online presentation was promoted by and advertised on the Montgomery County Council of PTAs’ social media. According to the online sign-up sheet, several agencies supported the information session, including education associations, labor unions and immigration advocacy organizations.
Many local PTAs also promoted the session on their official platforms, including those at Gaithersburg Middle School, Laytonsville Elementary School, and Stedwick Elementary School.