CHICAGO — A teacher said tear gas drifted toward a school playground, forcing students and recess indoors. A viral video recorded near another school showed law enforcement dragging a woman out of her van and onto the ground. And students say they have seen ICE vehicles in their neighborhoods, leading them to feel frightened, according to one instructor.
Educators say those incidents and others that have taken place as federal immigration agents increase arrests in Chicago are disrupting their jobs, upending their communities and traumatizing their students.
“Everyone’s very anxious,” said Sheena Shukla, a school social worker for Chicago Public Schools. “Can you imagine telling a 12-year-old that people are out there who might want to take their family? We can’t shield our children from these realities, so we provide them with a level of support that they can understand.”
In response, school staff members have organized teams to report and respond to Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity around their schools, including patrolling the area, keeping concerned parents informed and helping escort some families to and from school, according to members of the Chicago Teachers Union.
That work includes talking to their students in age-appropriate ways about what’s going on in their communities in a city that is nearly 30% Latino and more than 22% foreign-born, Shukla said.
The Chicago Public Schools district is holding daily calls with city leaders and its labor partners. It said in a statement to NBC News that while there has been law enforcement activity near some schools, there have been no incidents inside its schools and facilities. Nonetheless, the district and the Chicago Teachers Union have been issuing guidance and taking steps in preparation for federal immigration enforcement since President Donald Trump returned to office in January.
“School remains the safest and best place for students. CPS staff have safety protocols, including how to respond if federal representatives seek access to school property or interaction with students or staff,” the district said.
The district has also been vocal about the fact that it does not collaborate with federal immigration enforcement agencies, including ICE. Agents will not be granted access to its schools unless they present a “valid criminal judicial warrant signed by a federal judge,” the district said in its statement.
The Department of Homeland Security referred NBC News to a statement saying ICE does not target schools or children.
“ICE is not going to schools to make arrests of children. Criminals are no longer able to hide in America’s schools to avoid arrest. The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement and instead trusts them to use common sense,” DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said in the statement. “If a dangerous illegal alien felon were to flee into a school, or a child sex offender is working as an employee, there may be a situation where an arrest is made to protect public safety. But this has not happened.”
On Tuesday, DHS said on social media that its enforcement surge in the area, known as Operation Midway Blitz, “is making Illinois SAFE again” and had arrested over 1,500 people across Illinois, including criminals and gang members.
Last week, Chicago Teachers Union officials met with about a dozen teachers at Funston Elementary School to talk about a recent incident involving immigration officials and tear gas being deployed near the school.
More on immigration enforcement in Illinois
- How immigration enforcement turned sleepy Broadview into a chaotic, militarized town
- Illinois officials issue orders and file lawsuits as protesters clash with immigration agents
- Bodycam videos show ICE agents’ initial reactions to fatal Chicago shooting
- Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker calls armed immigration officers in Chicago an ‘attack on Americans’
Maria Heavener, a first grade teacher at the school, described how she was teaching on Oct. 3 when she heard what sounded like helicopters, horns blowing on the street and a whistle educators used to announce ICE activity. She then saw a message from a fifth grade teacher at the school who spotted ICE “less than 100 feet from our building” while walking to a store called Rico Fresh Market for lunch.
“Tear gas filled the streets, blowing into the parking lot of Rico Fresh and towards the direction of our playground across the street,” Heavener said at a news conference with Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson.
A class that had been outside was quickly pulled inside so it was not affected by the tear gas, Heavener said. The school said in a letter to families that it held recess indoors for the rest of the day out of an abundance of caution and that staff members were well-versed in the protocols for keeping students safe.
By dismissal time, about 100 community members were lined up and down the streets near the school, “creating safe passage for our children and families and sending a clear message that ICE is not welcome in our community,” Heavener said.
DHS did not respond to a request for comment about enforcement activity and deploying tear gas near the school or concerns about using chemical agents near schools.
“There is no institution available right now that is constructed to deal with the trauma, the impact that our young people and their families and our communities are experiencing,” CTU President Stacy Davis Gates said.
