During the final two months of his life in the United States, Jose Alberto Gonzalez and his family stayed primarily in a one-bedroom apartment in Denver. They only confided in their roommate, a relative from Venezuela.
They communicated via WhatsApp to stay updated on local immigration agent alerts before they ventured out for the occasional landscaping jobs or grocery shopping.
Most mornings at 7:20 am, I would drop Gonzalez’s wife off at school.
The allure of children learning English in American schools and the need to earn money pushed Gonzalez and his wife to undertake a month-long journey to the United States with their six- and three-year-olds.
They arrived two years prior with plans to stay for a decade. However, on February 28th, Gonzalez and his family boarded a bus from Denver to El Paso, beginning a lengthy journey back to Venezuela.
Despite their fears, many immigrant families across the nation continue to send their kids to school, even while avoiding public outings that could attract immigration authorities.
This doesn’t imply they feel secure; in many cases, families inform their children’s schools that they will be leaving.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, thousands of migrants have already informed federal authorities of their intention to “self-report.” President Donald Trump has encouraged more families to leave to alleviate fears of detention and enhance government oversight, even offering $1,000 for transportation abroad.
On Monday, the supreme court permitted the Trump administration to revoke legal protections for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan immigrants, potentially subjecting them to deportation. Proponents of Temporary Protection Status believe this will cause more families to reconsider staying in the United States.
A large exodus could significantly impact schools, as funding often depends on student enrollment numbers.
“How can anyone blame my parents for choosing to leave given all the fear and uncertainty they’re experiencing?” asked Andrea Renteria, principal at Denver Elementary School, which serves immigrant students. “I assure them as principal that I won’t let anyone take their kids away at this school. But I can’t promise the same regarding their ability to work or travel.”
Rumors of immigrant attacks on schools have become a tipping point
After Trump’s election in November, where he promised to deport immigrants and targeted Venezuelans specifically as gang affiliates, Gonzalez recognized it was time to leave. He weighed the hardship of earning just $50 a week in his homeland, where public schools operate several hours daily.
“I don’t want to be seen as a criminal,” Gonzalez stated in Spanish. “I’m from Venezuela and I have tattoos. To them, that implies I’m a delinquent.”
It took Gonzalez months to save over $3,000 needed to return his family to Venezuela by foot. He and his wife didn’t disclose their plans to anyone except their single mother roommate, who feared drawing attention to herself due to their illegal status.
They continuously sent their children to Denver School until late February when Gonzalez received a message on his phone claiming immigration agents planned an operation at the school. That week, they kept their son home.
“Honestly, we were very scared for him,” Gonzalez admitted. “Because we didn’t have legal status.”
District data indicates a decline in attendance at Denver public schools since Trump’s inauguration.
Attendance across the district dropped by 3% in February compared to last year, with a marked decrease of up to 4.7% in schools predominantly serving new immigrant students. This trend persisted into March, bringing overall attendance down by 1.7%, with some newcomer schools experiencing drops as severe as 3.9%.
Some parents informed Denver School staff that they had no plans to send their children back to school following the suspension of Trump administration policies that had limited immigration enforcement in these institutions.
The Denver School District sued the government regarding this policy reversal, reporting a “significant” decline in enrollment, particularly in areas with higher populations of recent immigrants and neighborhoods affected by ICE raids. A federal judge ruled in March that the district failed to prove that the new policy was responsible for the decline.
Many schools saw a drop in attendance after Trump’s inauguration
Data from 15 districts across eight additional states, including Texas, Alabama, Idaho, and Massachusetts, revealed similar drops in school attendance following the inauguration. Many of these districts saw a bounce back sooner than Denver.
Between 2022 and 2024, over 40,000 Venezuelans and Colombian immigrants sought shelter or other assistance in Denver. Trump’s campaign aimed to initiate deportations near Aurora due to alleged Venezuelan gang activity.
On a national scale, schools have reported immediate declines in daily attendance coinciding with immigration enforcement or rumors of ICE raids, according to Hedy Chang of a nonprofit that helps schools manage absenteeism.
Dozens of districts have not responded to requests for attendance data, fearing it may trigger scrutiny from immigration enforcement.
In late February, Gonzalez and his wife withdrew their children from school and informed the administration they were returning to Venezuela. He posted a farewell message in a Facebook group for Denver volunteers seeking work and assistance. “Thank you to all my friends,” he wrote. “Tomorrow, God willing, I will leave.”
Shortly after, several Venezuelan and Colombian women reached out to him for advice on making a similar return. “If God allows it, we plan to leave in May,” one woman wrote in Spanish.
In Denver, 3,323 students exited the school system by mid-April, an increase of 686 from the comparable period last year. Denver school officials were unable to provide explanations for this surge.
At least two students have withdrawn since the Trump administration took office citing immigration concerns, according to Andrea Renteria, principal of Denver Elementary School with 400 students. One student returned to Colombia, while the other did not disclose their destination.
School officials in Massachusetts and Washington have confirmed instances of students withdrawing to return to El Salvador, Brazil, and Mexico, with Haitians attempting to reach Mexico or Canada.
In Chelsea, Massachusetts, a district with 6,000 students, nearly half of whom are English learners, a small number of families recently withdrew their children due to immigration fears. District administrator Daniel Mozica reported that one mother pulled her two young children out of the district and returned to El Salvador in March while her 19-year-old daughter remained to graduate.
This indicates that such decisions could result in further family separations.
In Bellingham, Washington, two families withdrew their children from school following an immigration and customs raid at a local roofing company in early April, where agents arrested the fathers of 16 school-aged children. Family engagement specialist Isabel Meeker noted that both families returned to Mexico.
“There’s a sense that not only are these families not worth fighting for, they realize the likely outcome,” Meeker stated.
Immigrant families gather documents needed for their return
In countries with substantial populations living in the US, there are signs indicating that more people are aspiring to return home.
Data from the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs shows a 36% increase in applications for Brazilian passports from US consulates in March compared to the previous year. Birth registrations—a preliminary step for obtaining Brazilian passports for US-born children—rose by 76% in April relative to the previous year. Guatemala also reported a 5% increase in passport requests from US citizens over the past year.
Last month, Melvin Josue, his wife, and another couple traveled four hours from New Jersey to Boston to secure Honduran passports for their American-born children.
If these families conclude that living in the US is not feasible, this becomes a critical step. Melvin Josue is concerned about Trump’s immigration policies and the potential ramifications for his or his wife’s detention, while also grappling with the current job market’s difficulties.
His demand as part of a drywall crew has sharply declined due to economic uncertainties stemming from tariffs. He also expressed hesitance toward hiring workers illegally in the country.
(The Associated Press has agreed to use only his first and middle names, as he fears leaving his family behind due to his undocumented status.)
“I’m unsure of our future, but we might need to return to Honduras,” he said. “I want to prepare myself.”
The scope of the exodus and its impact on schools remains uncertain, but concerns are beginning to manifest.
A consultant involved with a Texas district focused on immigrant education remarked that one district experienced a notable decline in summer school registrations for students learning English.
“They’re genuinely anxious about the upcoming fall enrollment,” stated Viridiana Carrizales, CEO of Immschools, a nonprofit advising school districts on addressing the needs of immigrant students and families.
Experts in educational financing foresee budgetary issues in areas heavily populated by immigrant families.
“Each student entering through the door not only secures federal funds but also state and local funding,” explained Marguerite Rosa, a Georgetown University professor specializing in education finance. “If a district comprises a significant number of immigrant students, the financial loss potential is considerable. This poses a significant risk.”
Initiatives aimed at assisting immigrants with relocation may accelerate departures.
As he prepares to return to Venezuela, Gonzalez has declined any financial assistance since it would require interaction with a US government he no longer trusts. He relays this advice to the many immigrants who contact him weekly seeking guidance on their best route home.
“If you can manage it on your own,” he advises, “once you have the cash in hand, heading south is much simpler than trying to reach the US initially.”
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Associated Press Writer Jocelyn Gecker contributed to this report.
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