Gov. JB Pritzker throws cold water on remote learning for Chicago Public Schools students in response to ICE raids

Jake Sheridan and Dan Petrella, Chicago Tribune on Oct 24, 2025

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CHICAGO — Mayor Brandon Johnson urged Gov. JB Pritzker Friday to weigh allowing Chicago public school students to learn from home because ICE agents are arresting parents and students on their way to and from schools.

Pritzker later took a dim view of the idea, saying kids belong in classrooms and pointing to ways schools and residents have already taken steps to protect students and their parents from federal immigration raids.

Asked during a news conference if he is considering implementing remote learning at Chicago Public Schools, Johnson said “there are people who are afraid to go to school, are afraid to go to work” before shifting shot-calling responsibilities Pritzker.

“The (Chicago Board of Education) is asking the governor for a declared state of emergency. That’s his authority,” the mayor said. “That’s something that I certainly believe that should be considered, right, to keep people safe.”

Asked again, he reiterated: “That’s his authority. That’s not mine.”

Pressed further later, Johnson said he has not spoken directly with the governor about such an emergency declaration.

“I don’t know if they’re actually going to do that, but I understand that there is a worthwhile conversation around making sure that we’re protecting all of Chicago,” the mayor said.

Appearing at a separate news conference Friday, Pritzker was asked whether he would consider the move to remote learning. He noted schools are well-prepared to prevent ICE agents from getting inside buildings, and added “you’ve seen lots of neighborhood programs that have developed to support the parents also.”

“That entire system that’s been put together is one the state continues to support,” Pritzker said. “We think that’s the best way to go. Remember, very importantly, I think one thing we learned during COVID is that remote learning really has a deleterious effect on kids’ ability to get the kind of education they need. So we’re going to do everything we can to keep kids in school, where they are safer.”

As detentions by federal immigration agents swell in President Donald Trump’s “Operation Midway Blitz,” school board members at their monthly meeting Thursday urged CPS to take more action, including implementing remote learning options for students unable to attend school due to immigration fears.

“Our parents are asking for remote learning, if possible. This is an emergency, period. This is an emergency right now,” Johnson appointee Emma Lozano said during the meeting.

The district cannot unilaterally implement remote learning, interim CPS CEO Macquline King said. Only the governor’s office has the authority to do so in “emergency” situations, she said, while maintaining schools are the safest place for students to be.

Chicago’s schools have been the site of numerous intense efforts to protect students and their parents from federal immigration agents. Aldermen have put together volunteer lookouts near school buildings, CPS has expanded its 24-hour Student Safety Center with a team dedicated to triaging federal law enforcement incidents and the Chicago Teachers Union has organized watch teams of its own.

During Thursday’s meeting, a high-ranking CTU member backed the district’s Virtual Academy as a potential to ensure students can attend school while family members feel it is dangerous to leave home.

Johnson and Pritzker weighed in on the situation as federal agents were spotted near several Chicago schools again Friday.

In Wicker Park, Ald. Daniel La Spata cycled around Rudy Lozano Elementary School, searching for vehicles with license plates tied to immigration agents.

La Spata pointed out a corner where he said agents grabbed a person Friday morning. He rolled to a stop near a group of around two dozen volunteers who showed up to watch out for agents and show support during Lozano student pick-up.

“There’s a number of schools in the ward where we’ve seen attendance drop-offs because families feel scared to show up,” he said. “You should never have to feel like that.”

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The Tribune’s Kate Perez contributed.

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