Last week, Democratic Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago school officials wrongly said that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents showed up at an elementary school. This comes as the Trump administration carries out actions against dangerous illegal immigrants in the sanctuary city.
ICE announced that its agents did not go to Hamline Elementary School in Chicago’s Back of the Yards neighborhood. The U.S. Secret Service clarified that their agents were the ones who visited on Friday to look into a threat made against an unidentified government figure. Chicago Public Schools later acknowledged their error, saying there was a “misunderstanding,” but confirmed that they will not work with federal immigration officials.
On Friday, Chicago Public Schools Chief Education Officer Bogdana Chkoumbova spoke to local news cameras and said that ICE agents arrived at Hamline that morning, but school staff followed the rules set by CPS.
“They kept ICE agents away from the school and reached out to the CPS Law Department and the CPS Office of Safety and Security for advice,” Chkoumbova said. The ICE agents were not allowed in the school and could not talk to any kids or staff. The main point is that our kids and staff are safe. We will not work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
“We will not open our doors for ICE, and we are here to protect our children and make sure they have access to an excellent education,” Hamline Principal Natasha Ortega said at the same press conference, according to video released by WMAQ-TV. “We support our families and the Back of the Yards community.”
The governor added their thoughts on X.
“After a week of Republicans spreading fear and confusion, the first reports of raids in Chicago are at an elementary school,” Pritzker wrote on Friday, sharing a story from ChalkBeat.org. “Hurting children and breaking up families is wrong and not what America stands for.”
The post received a Community Note that said: “This was not ICE, but the U.S. Secret Service visiting the school because of an unknown threat.”
The governor has not posted any updates on their X account. Fox News Digital contacted Pritzker’s team for a comment on Monday, but they did not reply right away.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson made a statement on X, setting the record straight and criticizing officials for spreading unproven claims.
“Chicago will always be a friendly city. We will stick to our welcoming city rules and protect our students and all residents,” wrote Johnson, a Democrat. Today, Secret Service agents, not ICE, were at John H. Hamline Elementary School. Many people in the city are concerned about increased immigration enforcement, so it’s important not to share unconfirmed information that may cause fear among residents.
Pedro Martinez, the CEO of Chicago Public Schools, shared questionable claims on Friday. He stated on MSNBC that “individuals” arrived at Hamline, showed their IDs, and claimed to be from ICE.
“Our team stuck to the rules.” “We are very clear,” said Martinez. “We’ve been training our teachers, our security guards, any front office staff… Make sure they understand that we cannot share any information with anyone from the immigration department or ICE. They can’t enter the building unless they have a court order.
ICE stated that it had no part in the incident. Anthony Guglielmi, the head of communications for the U.S. Secret Service, told Fox News Digital that agents in Chicago were looking into a threat made against a government official they guard.
“During their investigation, agents first went to a house in the neighborhood and then visited Hamline Elementary School,” Guglielmi said. The agents introduced themselves to the school director and gave him their business cards with their contact details. The agents left without any problems. The Secret Service looks into all threats against the people they guard. We do not look into or enforce immigration rules.
Chicago Public Schools leaders changed their previous statements on Saturday.
Martinez and Chkoumbova told relatives that agents showed school staff ID from the Department of Homeland Security, which manages Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“We found out later that these officials were not from ICE, but from the U.S. Secret Service, which is another federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security,” the statement said. “This incident happened because of a misunderstanding, but it shows the fear and worry in our city right now. It also highlights how careful we are being because of recent changes in federal policies.”
School officials criticized the DHS’s move last week to cancel a rule that stopped ICE from enforcing immigration laws at sensitive places like churches, schools, and doctor’s offices.
Trump’s border chief, Tom Homan, who is in charge of ICE raids in Chicago and other places as part of the president’s deportation plan, supported the change during an interview on ABC News on Sunday. Homan mentioned that many MS-13 gang members are usually around 14 years old. He believes that experienced ICE agents should have the ability to identify and remove threats to public safety and national security.
Earlier this week, the new presidential administration cancelled a policy that had been in place for a long time. This policy helped keep sensitive places, like schools, safe from being targeted by ICE for immigration enforcement. “Our school leaders have been very cautious to keep their communities safe,” said Martinez and Chkoumbova on Saturday. “Despite yesterday’s misunderstanding, the school’s response demonstrates that our school system, in partnership with community organizations and our labor partners, is prepared and ready to keep our students and staff safe.”
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