As Immigration and Customs Enforcement sets up a satellite office near Atlanta, with anti-ICE protests sweeping across the city and Atlanta Public Schools, the district has remained committed to supporting immigrant students, parents and teachers, as well as the Atlanta community.
APS has had a long history of helping immigrants, going beyond the district’s promise of educating all students, regardless of country of origin, ethnicity or citizenship status. As the Trump administration has begun implementing mass-deportation strategies, APS has continued to support Atlanta’s immigrants.
“Over the past several months, the needs of our multilingual and immigrant communities have grown exponentially,” Margaret McKenzie, APS director, Multilingual Programs & Services, said. “Those needs primarily include access to food, mental health services, virtual tutoring and educational options, as well as legal and financial assistance.”
Dr. McKenzie says the district is putting in extra effort to ensure every student, parent and staff member feel supported by the district.
“On March 3, 2025, the APS Board of Education reaffirmed our district’s commitment to ensure all students are safe and welcome in Atlanta Public Schools,” Dr. McKenzie said. “Originally adopted in 2016, it specifically outlines our commitment to diversity and the right for every child in the U.S. to live in a safe and secure community, free from threat, harm or intimidation. It also resolves ‘that APS will continue to educate and serve all eligible students without regard to their immigration status.’”
Spanish teacher Liliana Ortegon immigrated to the United States from Colombia over 26 years ago. She still works closely with many immigrant students and parents, as well as other teachers.
“I think that we do have great school support and district support,” Ortegon said. “I know for a fact that the World Language Department does a lot to help the immigrant community. They have different programs and support, and they go out to the community to help. That is exactly the case with this school. This school does a great job supporting the educational needs of immigrants. But you always want to see more.”
Dr. McKenzie emphasizes the importance of collaborating with teachers, like Ortegon, and all school staff.
“The office of Multilingual Programs & Services works closely with staff and families to reduce barriers for multilingual and immigrant families.” Dr. Mckenzie said. “It should be noted that per federal law, public schools must enroll all resident students, regardless of their immigration or citizenship status, and APS does not ask for or collect that information. For many multilingual and immigrant students and families, the major barriers to full participation and engagement in schooling include language and knowledge of the U.S. education system. In order to assist schools and families, APS provides language assistance.”
However, APS support for Atlanta’s immigrant communities doesn’t stop at what is required at the school level. Dr. McKenzie says the district partners with many organizations to ensure immigrants have the resources they need.
“In APS, we are very fortunate to have, through the support of community partners, to be able to provide access to several resources to address [immigrants’] needs,” Dr. McKenzie said. “Our APS food pantry at the APS Hub, local school pantries and community partner resources have provided relief to many families who are struggling financially to afford enough food to feed their families or are too fearful to leave their homes to shop for groceries. APS social workers have connected with members of my team to help deliver food to families who are fearful to leave their homes. We also have connected many families with resources and community partners that can provide support for mental health, legal assistance, and tutoring.”
Sam Martin* is a child of immigrants. He believes Midtown has fostered a comfortable environment for immigrant students, but there is still work to be done, as students have continued to feel vulnerable in certain areas.
“I personally feel pretty safe while I’m at school,” Martin said. “But, I know a lot of people who don’t feel as safe. Also, the main problem I’ve heard is other things, like getting to school or leaving, not actually in the school building.”
While Ortegon has received support from APS and Midtown, she continues to work to foster an inclusive and understanding atmosphere at school. Through events, such as Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations, she hopes to shape people’s perceptions of immigrants through education.
“A lot of people have different ideas or misconceptions about people, and learning about others is a way to become more aware,” Ortegon said. “Refusing all the noise and just getting the information [is crucial] because you hear a lot of things about Hispanics: they do this, they don’t do this, they come here, they don’t come here. [There are] so many stories, but the reality is that … it is not the experience for everyone. [By] bringing that awareness and perspective, we hope that helps the students to become better citizens, to be more kind [and] to be more aware of people around them.”
Events like Hispanic Heritage Month are important to introducing students to the different cultures in their schools and helping immigrant students feel comfortable to share their heritage. Dr. McKenzie notes that of the over 80 languages represented in APS, approximately 90% of APS students with a language other than English, speak Spanish at home, representing a large portion of APS students and families. She agrees that community connection is essential to building trust and comfort with all members of APS. She says the district is constantly working to break barriers and establish new relationships with immigrant and multilingual Atlantans.
“In addition to language assistance services, our office provides community outreach events, monthly virtual meetings for Spanish-speaking families, international transcript evaluation, grade level placement guidance, and welcome calls to new multilingual families enrolling in APS,” Dr. McKenzie said. “Our community events are often collaboratively planned with the Mayor’s Office of International and Immigrant Affairs (MOIIA) and include various organizations and non-profits. In 2020, we launched virtual meetings for our Spanish-speaking community to share information and resources.”
Virtual immigrant information meetings are held monthly to provide immigrant families feel informed and supported, building trust between APS and the immigrant and multilingual communities. Martin has seen the efforts of students and teachers like Ortegon. He has been exposed to the diversity in Midtown through its numerous multicultural clubs and organizations.
“I know there are lots of clubs, like Spanish Club or Asian Student Union, that will have things that connect people from different cultures,” Martin said. “Especially at Midtown, we have so many different people, but honestly, we are [united].”
In addition to teaching students about the Spanish language and Hispanic culture, Ortegon has helped immigrants in the Atlanta community. She worked with a non-profit for three years to teach immigrants civics for the naturalization test to become a U.S. citizen.
“The success of the program is amazing because many people say that Americans don’t know much about civics, and I agree with that,” Ortegon said. “Every time that you go and ask simple questions about civics lessons, they don’t know exactly the answer. However, when immigrants have to prepare to take that test, they really need to know that. The idea of preparing them was teaching them to take and pass the test, but it was also to teach them background: all the history behind the First Amendment, the Constitution, why the flag has X number of stars and stripes, everything regarding that. The goal was to help people to become American citizens.”
APS recognizes the importance of efforts from individual teachers and hopes to empower them to continue to support immigrants and educate the community.
“APS continues to be a community of care for all students and their families, regardless of economic, social, cultural and human differences,” Dr. McKenzie said. “APS stands committed to providing excellence in educational opportunities through a safe, secure and welcoming space for each and every student.”
*Represents an anonymous source
