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The school districts in the United States are experiencing a significant decline in enrollment of students from immigrant families, as a result of the immigration policies enacted by President Donald Trump and the overall drop in the number of arrivals to the country.
In some cases, the parents of the students have been deported or have voluntarily returned to their countries of origin, according to a report by CBS News.
The report indicates that others have moved within the United States in search of stability due to the rising cost of living in cities like Miami.
But the main reason, school administrators agree, is that fewer families are crossing the border.
In Miami-Dade County, where the Latino population, particularly Cuban, predominates, only 2,550 foreign students enrolled in public schools this year, down from nearly 14,000 last year and over 20,000 two years ago.
The school board member Luisa Santos, who came to the country as an immigrant child, described the trend as "a sad reality" and recalled her own experience: "I arrived in the United States at eight years old. This country and our public schools gave me everything."
The decline in immigrant enrollment has resulted in an estimated loss of 70 million dollars in the district's budget, forcing administrators to seek alternatives to cover the deficit.
In Albertville, Alabama, where nearly 60% of the students are Hispanic, Superintendent Bart Reeves reported that the program for new students "has not received any registrations this year."
"That's just not happening with the border closure," said Reeves, who estimates that the reduction in students will cost him around a dozen teaching positions.
In Palm Beach County (Florida), enrollment also dropped by more than 6,000 students. Among them were seven Guatemalan children whose parents were detained on immigration charges. The woman who temporarily cared for them, Edna, a 63-year-old Salvadoran, tearfully recounted how the little ones returned to Guatemala in September. “My house feels like a garden without flowers,” she said.
The trend is repeated across multiple states. In Denver, public schools enrolled only 400 new foreign students this summer, compared to 1,500 last year.
In Waukegan, Illinois, there were 100 fewer than in 2024, and in Houston, Texas, the school district closed the school “Las Américas” —dedicated to recently arrived children— after enrollment dropped from 111 to just 21 students.
In Chelsea, Massachusetts, a historic refuge for Central American immigrants, the influx of newcomers has declined drastically. This summer, 152 new students were enrolled, down from 592 the previous year. Additionally, a growing number of families are leaving the district and returning to their home countries.
“Fear is in the air,” confessed Daniel Mojica, director of the information center for parents, referring to the visible presence of immigration agents on the streets.
In the Perkins K-8 school in San Diego, the principal Fernando Hernández used to welcome dozens of students from Latin America each year. However, this school year, he has not enrolled any. Many of the children who used to share classes and recess with their peers are now back in their home countries.
“This feels like a repeat of the pandemic, with children isolated and not socializing. These kids need to be in school,” Hernández warned.
Among the families that remain in the country, fear persists. Natacha, a Venezuelan mother residing in California, shared that she avoids going out on the street for fear of being detained. "Every afternoon, when I pick up my daughters, I look in the rearview mirror to see if someone is following me," she recounted. "I entrust myself to God."
Experts warn that the decline of immigrant students affects not only school budgets but also cultural diversity and coexistence within the classrooms.
The English programs and social support, which have helped integrate newly arrived families for years, may face cuts due to the sustained drop in enrollment.
The decrease signifies a deep change in the American educational landscape, where for decades immigrant children have represented a source of energy, culture, and hope for school communities.
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