Parent Teacher Association officials in one of the wealthiest school districts in the country hosted a training session last month instructing families on how to respond to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity.

The virtual PTA session in Montgomery County, Maryland, was held on Jan. 20 and was headed by Councilwoman Kristin Mink. The meeting was titled “ICE Response & Organizing Tools for PTAs, Parents & Guardians.” 

According to the National Review, Mink has previously hosted multiple sessions on ways schools can equip themselves with “tools to slow ICE down and protect each other.” The training guided parents on how to escort students with illegal immigrant parents, and encouraged volunteers to monitor ICE activity during drop‑off and pickup, and introduced ways to support families affected by ICE arrests and deportations.

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

In one slide, Mink outlined how “White allies” could assist and support the community, advising them not to use whistles to counter “ICE violence,” which has become a widespread form of community resistance. She argued that White individuals should avoid using a tool that, in her view, reinforces authority associated with Whiteness.

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“Especially for White allies, whistles can represent a subconscious desire for authority, protection, or control in moments of crisis,” the slide said. 

“But rapid response is not about assuming authority. . . . When we question decisions made by those impacted, we risk centering our own comfort instead of impacted people.”

She added that “What feels ‘activating’ or empowering to some can cause stress to others,” noting that “Black and Brown communities are already overexposed to chronic noise pollution due to racist zoning, redlining, and disinvestment.”

She further addressed, in the slide, how certain characteristics — such as gender, sexuality, and education — align with positions of power or marginalization.

‘WHITE SAVIORS’ USE OF WHISTLES CAUSES BITTER INTERNAL RIFT INSIDE ANTI-ICE MOVEMENT

Last September, the Department of Homeland Security clarified that, contrary to what it described as “fearmongering” by sanctuary politicians, “ICE is not conducting enforcement operations at, or ‘raiding,’ schools.”

Mink’s presentation aligns with a recent wave within the anti-ICE movement, where immigrant-led organizations clashed with predominantly White “rapid response” activists over the use of whistles during immigration raids. Groups like the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network (WAISN) and Maryland-based coalitions argue that blowing whistles is a “White Savior” tactic that creates unnecessary panic and escalates tension.

The Jan. 20 meeting sparked further controversy, with critics arguing that parent-teacher organizations should prioritize academic success rather than engaging in political activism.

“It goes without saying, PTAs should focus on their original intent: students — not injecting inflammatory and divisive political rhetoric into the community,” Kendall Tietz, investigative reporter at Defending Education, told the National Review.

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The online presentation was promoted by, and advertised on, the Montgomery County Council of PTAs’ social media. According to the online sign-up sheet, several agencies supported the information session, including education associations, labor unions and immigration advocacy organizations. 

Many local PTAs also promoted the session on their official platforms, including those at Gaithersburg Middle School, Laytonsville Elementary School and Stedwick Elementary School. 

Some New Yorkers don’t go above 14th Street in Manhattan. Not Todd Snyder.

Mr. Snyder, 58, the American luxury menswear designer, spends his days within a five-block radius immediately north of Madison Square Park.

When he moved to New York City from Iowa in 1992, Mr. Snyder honed his craft by working for Ralph Lauren, Gap, Old Navy and eventually J. Crew, where he helped update the men’s line and designed the popular Ludlow suit.

In 2011, he launched his own line with modernized American classics, crafted from premium Italian and Japanese fabrics.

“For a lot of men, fashion is a four-letter word,” Mr. Snyder said. “My whole goal has been trying to figure out how to simplify fashion for men.”

He recently spent a Sunday with The New York Times as he and his team assembled styles for a lookbook, “American Form,” set to be released during New York Fashion Week.

BOSTON — – Chris Bell made six 3-pointers and scored 22 points to help California cruise past Boston College 86-75 on Saturday.

Cal (18-8, 6-7 Atlantic Coast Conference) never trailed against BC, and led by as many as 20 points in each half. The Golden Bears ended a two-game skid that included a 107-100, double-overtime loss to Syracuse.

Bell shot 8 of 13 from the field and 6 of 10 from long range. John Camden made four 3s and finished with 15 points. Dai Dai Ames also scored 15 points and Justin Pippen chipped in with 12. Cal shot 56% overall and 48% (14 of 29) from beyond the arc.

Fred Payne scored 16 points to lead Boston College (9-16, 2-10), which has lost six straight games. Chase Forte added 14 points, and Luka Toews and Jayden Hastings scored 12 each.

With 4:18 remaining, Toews hit a 3-pointer to spark a 10-3 spurt that pulled the Eagles to 80-71 with 2:16 left. Camden answered with a 3 and BC didn’t get closer.

Cal used a 19-8 run, capped by Camden’s 3-pointer, for a 20-point lead late in the first half. Payne’s 3 helped pull the Eagles to 43-28 at the break. In the second half, another Camden 3 stretched the Golden Bears’ lead to 55-35 with 16:32 to play.

Up next

Cal: The Golden Bears face Stanford at home on Saturday.

Boston College: The Eagles are at Florida State on Saturday.

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