Parent-Teacher Association officials at one of the nation’s wealthiest school districts held a training session last month to instruct families on how to respond to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity.

Virtual PTA Session Montgomery County, Marylandheld on January 20, hosted by Councilwoman Kristin Mink. The session is titled “ICE Response and Organizing Tools for PTAs, Parents and Guardians.”

According to National Review, Mink has previously chaired multiple meetings to discuss how schools can equip themselves with “the tools to slow down ICE and protect each other.” The training instructs parents on how to escort students with illegal immigrant parents, encourages volunteers to monitor ICE activities during student pickups and drop-offs, and describes ways to support families affected by ICE arrests and deportations.

During the meeting, Mink reportedly presented the comprehensive “rapid response” guidance she had created three days earlier and shared publicly.

In one slide, Mink outlined how “white allies“Can assist and support the community by advising them not to use whistles to fight back”ICE violence” has become a widespread form of community resistance. She believes white people should avoid using tools that she sees as reinforcing the authority associated with whiteness.

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Kristen Mink speaks during a protest against President Donald Trump in front of the White House on August 6, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Nicolas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images)

“Especially for white allies, whistles can represent subconscious desires for authority, protection, or control in times of crisis,” the slide said.

“But rapid response is not about seizing authority… When we question decisions made by those affected, we risk centering our own comfort rather than those affected.”

She added that “feelings of ‘activation’ or empowerment for some can be stressful for others,” noting that “black and brown communities are already disproportionately exposed to chronic noise pollution due to racist zoning, redlining, and disinvestment.”

She further discussed in the slides how certain characteristics, such as gender, sexual orientation, and education, may align with positions of power or marginalization.

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Cars park outside Montgomery Blair High School on June 12, 2025 in Silver Spring, Maryland. (Rob Hill/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Last September, the Department of Homeland Security clarified that, contrary to alleged “fear-mongering” by sanctuary politicians, “ICE is not conducting enforcement operations in schools or ‘raiding’ schools.”

Mink’s speech was consistent with the recent wave of anti-ICE movement, in which immigrant-led groups have clashed with mostly white “rapid response” activists over the use of whistles during immigration raids. Organizations such as the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network (WAISN) and the Maryland Coalition believe whistling is a “white savior” tactic that creates unnecessary panic and heightens tensions.

The Jan. 20 meeting sparked further controversy, with critics arguing the parent-teacher organization should prioritize academic success over political involvement.

“it goes without saying, Parent Education Associations should focus on their original content The intent: students — not to inject inflammatory and divisive political rhetoric into the community,” investigative journalist Kendall Teets, who defends education, told National Review.

Kristin Mink at the Montgomery County Council Office Building in Rockville, Maryland, on January 14, 2025. (Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

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This online presentation is promoted and publicized through the Montgomery County PTA Council’s social media. According to the online registration form, several organizations supported the information session, including education associations, labor unions and immigrant advocacy groups.

Many local parent associations also promoted the event on their official platforms, including Gaithersburg Middle School, Laytonsville Elementary School and Stedwick Elementary School.