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Former U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona ‘frustrated' after Meriden high school senior held by ICE

Former U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona ‘frustrated' after Meriden high school senior held by ICE

Yahoo09-06-2025
MERIDEN, Conn. (WTNH) — Former United States Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona spoke out on Instagram Saturday against the detention of a Meriden high school senior by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
This comes after a senior was detained at an immigration hearing in Hartford, and agents did not contact the district or any public school in Meriden regarding the student, according to a statement from Meriden Public School Superintendent Mark D. Benigni.
Meriden high school senior detained by ICE: Superintendent
In the Instagram video posted on '@teachcardona,' he noted that while he does not do videos directly to the camera, he wanted to express his frustration with the detention of the high school senior.
'Now this is a kid who, five days from now, should be experiencing the most important day of his life. His high school graduation with his family celebrating it, but instead, he was sent away,' Cardona said in the Instagram post. 'What I want to say to you and your family is I support you. We're praying for you and your family. We know how difficult this is for you. Your name will be called on graduation day. You earned the diploma.'
He continued to say that no matter where the student is, he will be a graduate of the school system.
The statement released by the superintendent also read, 'While I can not share details about specific students, I can assure you that students who meet all of the Meriden Public Schools graduation requirements will be issued a diploma from the Meriden Board of Education…We respect the family's privacy as they deal with this challenging situation.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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