Newton's School Committee plans to meet Monday, Sept. 14, to review and possibly adopt the PROTECT Act. The move follows ICE agents' detention of two people near Newton District Court and City Hall on Thursday, Sept. 10.

Superintendent Anna Nolin sent families a message through ParentSquare on Thursday afternoon, alerting them to the detentions and reaffirming the district's stance on student safety.

"Every corner of NPS should feel safe and welcoming to our students and families," Nolin wrote. "We are committed to this as a core part of helping our students thrive."

The PROTECT Act, which Gov. Maura Healey signed Aug. 5, prohibits warrantless civil immigration arrests at public schools, courthouses, childcare centers and healthcare facilities. The law requires schools and state-funded childcare programs to adopt policies governing interactions with civil law enforcement by Sept. 1 or the first day of the 2026–2027 school year, whichever comes first, NBC Boston reported.

The law's protections apply even before a school district formally completes its policy, according to Healey administration guidance reported by the Amherst Indy.

Thursday's detentions marked the first confirmed ICE presence in Newton since Mayor Marc Laredo took office, according to The Heights. Laredo said ICE agents took one person into custody outside Newton District Court. Agents then followed a vehicle driven by an acquaintance of that individual and stopped it in front of City Hall, where the acquaintance was also detained, according to a community alert reported by the Newton Beacon.

Someone called 911 during the incident. Newton police officers arrived, maintained order and stayed on scene until ICE released the acquaintance and all parties dispersed.

Laredo said he did not have information about the immigration status of those detained or whether they had criminal warrants.

Newton District Court is state property, not city-owned, City Solicitor Alissa Giuliani confirmed at a July 29 Public Safety and Transportation Committee meeting. State law governs enforcement activity there.

The district has long maintained that it does not collect immigration status information from students or families. Newton Public Schools complies only with court-issued warrants, not administrative detainers, according to district policy shared with the City Council in April. In an April message to families, Nolin wrote that Newton would continue to be a safe place for students to learn and thrive.

Newton's Welcoming City Ordinance, passed by the City Council in February 2017, bars city agencies from arresting or detaining people based solely on immigration status. Laredo signed an executive order in February 2026 further limiting local cooperation with ICE and restricting federal agents from using city locations without a judicial warrant.

Monday's School Committee meeting has not been assigned a public time or agenda. The committee plans to review and possibly adopt the PROTECT Act.