Since 2011, places that provide vital services important to the well-being of children and families—such as child care programs, schools, and hospitals— had been protected from immigration enforcement actions under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) sensitive locations policy. However, on January 20, 2025, a change to federal immigration policy now allows federal agents to carry out immigration enforcement actions in previously protected locations, which can have harmful impacts for children, families, and educators. 

In response to this concerning change, Rep. Adriano Espaillat (NY) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (CT) introduced the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act earlier this year to codify these critical protections for child care programs and other safe spaces into law. Email your members of Congress today and urge them to support this legislation to ensure child care programs remain safe spaces for children, families, and early childhood educators.