Minnesota schools close after ICE shooting, experts call it political move
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Schools in Minnesota are closing or offering remote learning options after an ICE raid that sparked violent protests. Experts say Fox News Digital is a political move that will ultimately lead to learning loss and unnecessary harm to children.
In response to the shooting death of Renee Good in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Minnesota school system announced temporary closures and the option for students to learn remotely. Also public schools in Minneapolis offers distance learning opportunities Until February.
The decision to remove children from classrooms was stated to be due to “safety concerns,” but experts who spoke to Fox News Digital say it is a purely policy-based decision and will negatively impact students, just like COVID-19 lockdowns.
“Minnesota Teachers Unions have harmed generations of the state’s children by demanding extended school closures during COVID,” Stefano Forte, executive director of the 1776 Project PAC, told Fox News Digital. “The teachers union is once again acting against the interests of children and portraying themselves as nothing more than the political arm of the Democratic Party.”
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Students will return to St. Petersburg on January 14, 2026. They gathered and listened to speakers at the State Capitol in St. Paul, Minnesota, during a school strike to protest federal immigration enforcement. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
In recent years, numerous studies and reports have been published showing that distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic seriously hinders students’ learning. Among them is a 2022 Department of Education report by Fox News Digital that showed math and reading scores dropped more during the coronavirus pandemic than in decades.
Since the ICE attack in Minneapolis, which sparked protests and violent agitators, numerous videos have circulated on social media showing young school-aged children at protests; one of which was a student strike at the Minnesota state capitol.
“Nearly six years after the start of the COVID pandemic, American families know that school closures and mass distance learning have been an unmitigated disaster for children academically, socially, emotionally and mentally,” Paul Runko, senior director of Strategic Initiatives to Defend Education, told Fox News Digital.
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A pedestrian walks on the campus of the University of Minnesota. (Getty)
“Every day spent outside the classroom is a day students won’t get back from. These decisions aren’t made for kids, they’re made for adults; they’re often made to score political points or set priorities that have nothing to do with student success. Students deserve classrooms, not excuses.”
Earlier this year, Fox News Digital published a statement from Defending Education alleging that a state-funded teacher preparation partnership in Minnesota expressly limited eligibility based on race, possibly in violation of federal law.
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Minneapolis police in tactical gear arrive on a street in downtown Minneapolis as protesters gather on January 17, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Jim Vondruska/Getty Images)
Rhyen Staley, research director for Defending Education, told Fox News Digital that far-left ideology is ingrained in education decisions made statewide.
“What is happening in Minnesota schools is a feature, not a bug, of the current dominant ideology that permeates the Colleges of Education and the education system,” Staley said. “Too many teachers are being trained to be far-left social justice activists, to the detriment of the children they are hired to serve. This situation, tragically, will continue until this changes.”
Fox News Digital contacted Minneapolis and St. Louis for comment. Paul reached public schools.
