Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched investigations into three school districts over student protests against immigration enforcement, alleging that school officials failed to ensure student safety and minimize classroom disruptions.
The move, announced Monday, targets North East Independent School District in San Antonio, Dallas Independent School District in Dallas, and Manor Independent School District, following a similar inquiry into Austin Independent School District in Austin. Paxton said his office is also examining claims that administrators and faculty helped organize the demonstrations.
“I will not allow Texas schools to become breeding grounds for the radical Left’s open borders agenda,” Paxton said in a statement. “Let this serve as a warning to any public school official or employee who unlawfully facilitates student participation in protests targeting our heroic law enforcement officers: my office will use every legal tool available to hold you accountable.”
The investigations come amid a broader conservative backlash after hundreds of Texas students walked out earlier this year as part of a national movement protesting immigration enforcement in the wake of recent killings of several people by federal immigration officers. The protests took place in cities across the state, including Austin, San Antonio and Waco, with students calling for the dismantling of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
State leaders have responded forcefully. Gov. Greg Abbott said districts could lose funding and students who break the law during protests could face arrest. The Texas Education Agency has warned that districts found to have facilitated walkouts could face state intervention.
As part of the latest probe, Paxton is seeking records from the three districts on student leave policies, excused absences, security procedures, internal communications about the protests and the use of public funds. His office will also review whether any laws were violated.
The districts under investigation are among the largest in Texas. Dallas ISD has the state’s second-largest student population, behind only Houston Independent School District in Houston. Meanwhile, North East ISD is the second-largest in the San Antonio area, after Northside Independent School District.
The inquiries highlight the growing intersection between student activism and state oversight of public education. Supporters of the investigations say they are necessary to ensure schools remain focused on instruction and student safety, while critics argue they could have a chilling effect on student expression.
