Copyright Newsweek
A fifth-grade teacher at a charter school in Douglas County, Colorado, was reportedly detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Staff at Global Village Academy in Parker said the educator, who was in her first full year of teaching after previously working as a substitute, was detained along with her family by immigration authorities, leaving the school struggling to fill its fifth-grade classroom, per CBS Colorado. The woman's name has been withheld from publication. Newsweek has contacted the school as well as ICE for comment via email. Why It Matters The incumbent administration has increased efforts to meet President Donald Trump's goal of deporting up to 1 million people within a year. Under its expanded immigration enforcement policies, ICE has been granted broader authority to conduct operations in sensitive locations, including schools. The White House has maintained that individuals residing in the United States without legal authorization are violating federal immigration law. Critics, however, argue that the increased raids and detentions have created fear and uncertainty within immigrant communities. What To Know Global Village Academy in Parker, which offers language immersion for kindergarten through fifth grade, said that a fifth-grade teacher and her family, including young children, were taken into ICE custody and transferred to a detention facility in Texas. Denver7 Investigates obtained a copy of a letter sent to parents informing them that the detention occurred while the teacher was attending a routine appointment related to her immigration case. The school told CBS Colorado that it had completed the required employment verification (I-9) forms and a Colorado Bureau of Investigation background check for the teacher, and that she held a valid employment authorization document through spring 2029. "While the school is not enrolled in the voluntary E-Verify program, our organization completes I-9 Employment Verification forms and inspects required employment authorization documentation for all employees, as required by federal law. We also conduct a Colorado Bureau of Investigations background check for all our school employees, including this individual," the school said in a statement. "We completed both the I-9 verification process and CBI background check with this employee, as required by law. This employee has a valid employment authorization document, authorizing her lawful employment in the United States, with any U.S. employer through the spring of 2029." The woman is a Peruvian national who entered the United States near Yuma, Arizona, on December 2, 2022, and was taken into custody by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, an ICE spokesperson told CBS Colorado. She was later released on her own recognizance and was taken into custody again in Denver on October 24, 2025, where she remains detained pending immigration proceedings, the spokesperson told the outlet. DHS has said that more than 527,000 migrants without legal status have been removed from the country since Trump returned to office. Newsweek has been unable to independently verify this figure. What People Are Saying "We are aware of the situation involving one of our teachers who, along with her family members, including minor children, were detained by Immigration & Customs Enforcement and transferred to an ICE detention facility in Texas over the weekend," Global Village Academy said in a statement. ICE said in a statement that she "is an illegal alien from Peru who entered the country December 2, 2022, near Yuma, Arizona and was arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. She was subsequently paroled and released on her own recognizance. "[She] was taken into ICE Denver custody on October 24, 2025. She will be held in ICE custody pending immigration proceedings. "U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is executing its mission of identifying and removing criminal aliens and others who have violated our nation's immigration laws. All aliens in violation of U.S. immigration law may be subject to arrest, detention and, if found removable by final order, removal from the United States, regardless of nationality." Susan Meek, a board of education director for the Douglas County School District, told Denver7 Investigates: "When someone who contributes to our shared mission of educating children is suddenly taken away, it sends a chilling message to the many families in our district who live each day with fear, uncertainty, and vulnerability." "We are currently working closely with our legal team and outside immigration attorneys to understand if and how we might be able to help facilitate their return to Colorado," Global Village Academy Principal Stacy Bush wrote in her letter to parents. What Happens Next The teacher will be held in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.
