6 February 19 - 25, 2026 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents most recent demonstration took place five days after Minneapolis nurse Alex Pretti was killed by federal agents during a Jan. 24 confrontation. Since the start of January, student walk- outs have been organized at North Texas schools, including Trimble Technical High, Richland High, Birdville High and L.D. Bell High. TEA guidance cautioned districts against the “facilitation of political activism” using taxpayer dollars. The agency said school systems found to be in violation of state law could potentially face state takeover. Guid- ance also clarified that offending students must be marked absent, which would result in districts losing state funding tied to daily attendance figures. In correspondence sent to families, For- ney ISD told parents that the district did not condone students leaving class without per- mission. “Our staff cannot physically prevent a student from choosing to leave campus, but leaving during the school day for any reason without permission is considered an unex- cused absence and subject to disciplinary consequences per the Texas Education Agency and our student code of conduct,” the statement reads. Faculty and Free Speech R ena Honea, president of the Ameri- can Federation of Teachers Local 2260, said vague language in the state’s guidance may leave teachers uncer- tain of their responsibilities during walk- outs. “I think it’s a form of intimidation. I’m not sure that educators are there to facili- tate, and that’s a pretty broad term,” Honea said. “What do they mean by ‘facilitate?’ If they are standing in the hallway as students are walking out, are they considering that as facilitation?” Teachers who are determined to have fa- cilitated walkouts risk having their licenses revoked, according to the state’s guidance. TEA Commissioner Mike Morath named Levi Fuller, a former special prosecutor in the Texas Attorney General’s office, the state’s first inspector general for educator misconduct on Wednesday. In that role, Fuller will provide guidance on disciplinary decisions, including certification sanctions and placement on the state’s do-not-hire list. In a formal letter to Morath, the State Board of Education requested Fuller take “appropriate action” against school districts suspected of encouraging protests. Honea’s local primarily represents Dallas ISD teachers, who she says have told her state officials are acting like “bullies” with threats of licensure revocation and other sanctions. “Those are some pretty harsh things,” she said. “To threaten an educator’s career with their certification revocations if they think they’ve been an instigator or facili- tated this type of activity… The governor and the TEA commissioner should have conver- sations with people before they throw out that kind of language.” As stated in Forney ISD’s communication with families, leaving class without permis- sion is considered a Level III offense in the student code of conduct. According to the handbook, penalties for Level III offenses include exclusion from extracurriculars, Saturday school and in-school suspension. Adam Goldstein, vice president of strate- gic initiatives at the Foundation for Individ- ual Rights and Expression (FIRE), said that while students have a right to constitution- ally protected speech, that speech may not disrupt their learning environment, as the Supreme Court ruled in Tinker v. Des Moines. “That’s as disruptive as you can get for a school. So the school does have the right un- der the First Amendment to take steps to ei- ther prevent or punish disruptions to the school day like that. Hence, the bittersweet nature of it (seeing walkouts), in that it’s en- couraging to see students who are excited about exercising their rights,” Goldstein said. “It’s a little unfortunate they’ve chosen a way that is punishable.” On Jan. 4, Thomas Jefferson High School students participated in a short demonstra- tion in the school’s courtyard. As they did not leave campus, it is unclear whether or not the school or Dallas ISD will face conse- quences. Goldstein said education, not threats, may offer state leaders their best chance to address the protests. “There’s lots of things that we could be telling students to do that isn’t walking out to express these messages, that doesn’t vio- late a rule to express these messages, and it seems like there’s not a lot of effort being in- vested in that educational process.” ▼ SOCCER & IMMINGRATION A KICK IN THE SHINS ICE TO HAVE ROLE IN NORTH TEXAS WORLD CUP SECURITY BY AUSTIN WOOD I CE officers will have a presence at World Cup matches in Dallas and other cities, acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Todd Lyons con- firmed at a committee meeting last week. Arlington will host nine World Cup matches this summer, including a semifinal, which is the most of any host city during the tournament’s nearly two-month run. Dallas will also host the International Broadcast Center at the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Con- vention Center and the FIFA Fan Festival in Fair Park. Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the U.S. White House Task Force for the 2026 World Cup, declined to outline Home- land Security’s plan for the tournament when asked by WFAA in January. At a recent House Homeland Security Committee meeting, Lyons confirmed that ICE would be involved in World Cup security after Democratic U.S. Rep. Nellie Pou asked whether officials would pause operations during the tournament. “ICE, specifically Homeland Security In- vestigations, is a key part of the overall secu- rity apparatus for the World Cup,” Lyons said. “We’re dedicated to securing that oper- ation, and we’re dedicated to the security of all our participants, as well as visitors.” Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative arm of ICE and primarily deals with transnational criminal investigations. The other arm, Enforcement and Removal Operations, is responsible for detaining and deporting undocumented immigrants. Lyons did not elaborate on ICE’s role in the tournament. “If they [visiting fans] feel that they’re go- ing to be wrongfully incarcerated or wrong- fully pulled out, that’s going to hurt this entire process,” Pou said. “I hope you realize that.” While the Trump administration has in- troduced visa exemptions for team mem- bers and support staff traveling to the games, fans from four participating countries: Haiti, Iran, Senegal and the Ivory Coast, will be unable to travel to the U.S. under current travel restrictions. The American Immigra- tion Council has further warned that travel bans and the targeting of immigrant com- munities by ICE may have a chilling effect on attendance by fans of other countries. It is not unprecedented for ICE agents to provide security at international events, both domestically and overseas. The agen- cy’s recent operations, however, have incited foreign backlash, mirroring unrest in the U.S. ICE agents from Homeland Security In- vestigations are currently stationed in Milan to provide security during the Winter Olym- pics. Local residents have taken to the streets in recent days to protest their pres- ence in the country and controversial opera- tions in the U.S. Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala also spoke out against ICE agents operating in the city. “This is a militia that kills, a militia that enters into the homes of people, signing their own permission slips. It is clear they are not welcome in Milan, without a doubt,” Sala told RTL Radio 102. ICE Tension T ensions over immigration enforce- ment operations have risen in the U.S. since the start of January. Protests have broken out nationally in response to the January killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents during an ICE-led enforcement surge in Minnesota. At least three major protests have taken place in Dal- las since the Jan. 7 killing of Good, with the most recent taking place on Jan. 29, five days after Pretti was fatally shot. Dallas is preparing to host an estimated 3.8 million fans during the World Cup’s 39- day run, according to a city council report from a Jan. 21 briefing. Over 35,000 fans are expected to attend events at Fair Park each day. Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux de- clined to release data on the department’s interactions with ICE to the Community Po- lice Oversight Board in January while assur- ing board members that “we don’t do anything regarding immigration.” He’s also refused to participate in the 287(g) program, which gives local law enforcement jurisdic- tion to enforce federal immigration law. As previously reported by the Observer, Christina Foley, special agent in charge of the United States Secret Service, will coordi- nate with local law enforcement and federal agencies such as ICE. Despite calls for countries and fans to boycott the tournament, FIFA has touted record ticket sales for the 2026 World Cup, with over 500 million ticket requests sub- mitted in a one-month random drawing pe- riod. ▼ ANIMAL WELFARE OPERATION BITE CLUB OVER 200 ANIMALS SEIZED AS POLICE TARGET DOGFIGHTING BY AUSTIN WOOD D allas Police seized hundreds of ani- mals from multiple locations during an enforcement operation targeting illegal dogfighting, the department an- nounced on Feb. 11. According to posts on DPD social media pages, officers executed search warrants at “dozens” of locations in Dallas on Feb. 10 as part of an animal cruelty and dogfighting in- vestigation dubbed “Operation Fight Club.” Over 200 dogs were confiscated, in addition to 21 rifles, 26 pistols, 11 shotguns and six revolv- ers, as well as 500 grams of cocaine and mari- juana. Fentanyl pills, along with paraphernalia tied to dog fighting, including treadmills and chains, were also taken by authorities. 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