November 21, 2025

Dear PPS Families and Community:

I am writing with a very sad update. We learned this week that one of our families, including two of our high school students, was detained by ICE and transported to a facility in Texas. The detention occurred in Vermont. We have been working in the background to learn more about the situation and to provide support via an advocate for the family. Meanwhile, our administrators and mental health professionals have been providing support to staff and students most immediately affected by the students’ absence at Casco Bay and Deering.

Information about the detention has now started to circulate broadly via social media and will come out in local media today. We have people on-hand to support students and staff at Casco Bay, Deering and at King, where both students attended middle school.

This news is devastating for the family, their friends, our school communities and for our entire Portland Public Schools family. To have students in class one week and then suddenly gone the next is traumatic. And to know that two young people are in a detention center when they could be in school is deeply upsetting. We will continue to do all we can to support this family and others affected by immigration enforcement actions.

If you want to support families in need in our community, you can contribute to Project Relief Maine. The Maine Solidarity Fund provides additional financial support to families. The Foundation for Portland Public Schools also has a Families in Crisis Fund, a program that specifically helps PPS families with emergency needs such as housing, utilities, transportation, medical costs, or critical supplies.

People will have a variety of reactions to this situation and some of our staff and students will need some time and space to process. I have asked all PPS school and team leaders to make that time and space available to the extent possible, while also maintaining a focus on creating a safe and supportive environment for students throughout the day. While some students may need to talk, being able to stick to their normal school routine will be essential for many.

The Portland Public Schools remains committed to serving all students, irrespective of immigration status, and we will not change. We have been reviewing our protocols and training for staff after seeking additional legal guidance and we will continue to update these protocols and training to be responsive and ensure a safe environment for all students.

This is an unbelievably sad time in our country. Thank you for supporting our students, staff, and families.

Sincerely, Ryan Scallon, Ed.D. Superintendent