On Friday morning, officials at Hamline Elementary School in Chicago didn’t let federal agents inside because they thought the agents were from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Later, it was confirmed that the agents were actually from the Secret Service, who were investigating a threat against a government official.
Two agents from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) tried to enter the school around 11:15 a.m. Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Chief Education Officer Bogdana Chkoumbova said the agents showed their DHS badges. An ICE spokesperson confirmed that this was not an encounter with ICE.
The Secret Service said the agents first visited a home nearby before heading to Hamline Elementary. They identified themselves to the principal and left without any problems. “We check on threats against the officials we protect; we don’t handle immigration issues,” explained Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi.
CPS officials followed their safety rules to keep the kids safe and did not let the agents talk to any students or staff. A district spokesperson stated that safety is always a priority, no matter what part of Homeland Security is involved.
Recently, acting Homeland Security Secretary Benjamine Huffman allowed ICE agents to arrest people near sensitive places like schools and churches, changing a rule that used to limit enforcement actions in those areas.
Principal Natasha Ortega told the media, “We will not let ICE in our school. We are here to protect our students and ensure they have a good education.
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