{"id":238354,"date":"2025-09-19T07:14:12","date_gmt":"2025-09-19T07:14:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/238354\/"},"modified":"2025-09-19T07:14:12","modified_gmt":"2025-09-19T07:14:12","slug":"chicago-suburban-schools-prepare-amid-ice-activity-in-neighborhoods","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/238354\/","title":{"rendered":"Chicago, suburban schools prepare amid ICE activity in neighborhoods"},"content":{"rendered":"

A suburban Chicago student is in custody after being arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers at Elgin Community College Thursday morning, the college said, two days after a U.S. citizen from the suburb was briefly detained<\/a> in what the government is calling an immigration enforcement blitz in the Chicago area.<\/p>\n

The student was taken into custody in the parking lot of Building K, a statement to the school community said. The building houses the college\u2019s Adult Basic Education Center<\/a>, which offers English as a second language classes, GED preparation, citizenship classes and workforce development resources.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know that news of ICE activity can cause stress and fear. Elgin Community College remains deeply committed to supporting all students and their families, regardless of immigration status,\u201d the college\u2019s statement said.<\/p>\n

The college does not engage in immigration enforcement, does not voluntarily share information about students\u2019 immigration status, and ECC police do not engage in immigration-related enforcement either, it stated. It also has a liaison team that provides confidential support to undocumented students.<\/p>\n

\u201cECC strives to be a safe, welcoming place for every student to learn, grow, and thrive,\u201d the college\u2019s statement said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The arrest comes as schools across the city and suburbs prepare for potential immigration enforcement activity, whether it be at elementary or higher education institutions. On Thursday, the Illinois Education Association \u2014 a union representing 135,000 pre-K-12 teachers in the state outside of Chicago \u2014 called on school districts to put safety protocols in place and ensure federal immigration agents don\u2019t enter school property without warrants.<\/p>\n

\u201cICE raids instill fear, disrupt families and destabilize the learning environment for thousands of children,\u201d said Al Llorens, IEA\u2019s president. \u201cNo student should ever come to school afraid that their parent may not be there when they get home. No child should have to carry the weight of wondering whether their school, place of safety, learning and support, might become the site of a traumatic immigration enforcement action. When schools are surrounded by fear, students cannot learn, teachers cannot teach and communities cannot thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in a Sept. 9 news release<\/a> that immigration agents were not going into schools.<\/p>\n

\u201cICE is not conducting enforcement operations at, or \u2018raiding,\u2019 schools. ICE is not going to schools to make arrests of children,\u201d the statement said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

ICE did not immediately respond to an email for comment about arrests on college campuses.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, some schools have already seen enforcement in their communities, including West Chicago Elementary School District 33, which implemented a precautionary protocol on Monday \u2014 when state lawmakers said at least 15 people were arrested<\/a> during a morning immigration raid in the suburb \u2014 and Tuesday.<\/p>\n

The measures are an effort to make students and families feel safe while keeping \u201cclassrooms calm and learning uninterrupted,\u201d the district\u2019s superintendent, Kristina Davis, wrote in a statement to the Tribune. While not a lockdown, the protocol includes locking all exterior doors and having staff members and administrators maintain heightened awareness, she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know that some students may be hearing things in the news or seeing things in their neighborhoods, and it was important that parents felt safe sending their children to school,\u201d Davis said. \u201cOur staff has truly stepped up \u2014 walking with students, riding buses, and making sure every child arrives to and from school safely. We are grateful to our families and community for their partnership as we continue to keep students safe and supported.\u201d<\/p>\n

District 33 is not aware of any students who have been impacted by a parent or guardian being detained, added Nicole Eimer, the district\u2019s director of marketing, communications and public relations. Community partners and organizations alongside staff members and individual district family liaisons are already providing support to families and can connect them with resources immediately should the situation arise, she said.<\/p>\n

Still, the district is hearing concerns from families.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe disruptions across West Chicago earlier this week were very visible to the public \u2014 both through in-person sightings and through footage shared online and in the news,\u201d Eimer said. \u201cThis has been upsetting for our community, and understandably so. Families want reassurance that their children are safe in school, and we are doing everything possible to provide that stability and support.\u201d<\/p>\n

Waukegan parents and community members have been sounding the alert across social media about the increased presence of federal immigration agents and, seemingly, near schools. On Monday, according to local pastor Julie Contreras, rumors circulated about a possible sighting right by North Elementary at 410 Franklin St.<\/p>\n

That same day, Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 reached out to parents to let them know there had been no reported issues at any of their buildings.<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst and foremost, our schools remain safe and welcoming places for all students,\u201d the statement said<\/a>. \u201cThe District is not involved in any federal law enforcement operations, and our focus continues to be on teaching and supporting the children of Waukegan.\u201d <\/p>\n

It emphasized that the district does not collect information about students\u2019 immigration status, and that federal agents are not permitted access without valid warrants.<\/p>\n

Some of the school scares have been worsened by social media hysteria, Contreras said. Indeed, calls for virtual learning options for students in the suburban school district circulated online, though Superintendent Theresa Plascencia told the Tribune her office has not received a formal request from parents.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Since January, the district has shared resources with parents and offered informational \u201cKnow Your Rights\u201d sessions, efforts that have been ramped up in recent weeks<\/a>, \u201cso families know schools are a safe place for every child,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

As of Wednesday, Plascencia added, attendance rates have remained steady.<\/p>\n

\u201cParents are between a rock and a hard place,\u201d Contreras said. \u201cBut I\u2019m not yet telling students not to go to schools.\u201d She also worries virtual learning could mean only students who themselves, or whose families, have a specific immigration status are singled out.<\/p>\n

A 45-year-old single mother from Waukegan, who has been in the United States for 20 years after immigrating from Guanajuato, Mexico, told the Tribune in Spanish that her youngest child \u2014 an 8-year-old public school student \u2014 has been on high alert over the last few weeks. The Tribune is not naming her because she is undocumented and fears arrest.<\/p>\n

\u201cMami, ah\u00ed se ve un carro extra\u00f1o,\u201d the boy points out while they\u2019re driving. \u201cMom, there\u2019s a strange car over there.\u201d<\/p>\n

The mother of three tries to shield her youngest and her 16-year-old, who goes to a private college prep, from the barrage of news of migrant arrests around Chicagoland, but it\u2019s no use. The kid\u2019s classmates, also on edge, talk about it at school.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe turn on the television, and it\u2019s everywhere,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd I know what it\u2019s like for ICE to come into your home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nine years ago, her husband, with whom she had immigrated, was detained by federal immigration agents and deported back to Mexico. They got divorced shortly after.<\/p>\n

Despite her worries, she doesn\u2019t yet think virtual classes are a realistic option.<\/p>\n

\u201cSi voy con mucho miedo. Pero no puedo negar la educaci\u00f3n a mis hijos,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m going around with a lot of fear. But I can\u2019t deny my children their education.\u201d<\/p>\n

Schools provide the safest and most supportive setting for students, Chicago Public Schools said in a statement.\u00a0<\/p>\n

CPS also has steps in place if a child is left behind at school, which include reaching out to their emergency contacts and checking for a petition for appointment of short-term guardianship in the student\u2019s file, which grants a trusted adult the authority to make decisions for the student. Schools also establish a family safety plan with parents for educators to follow during any emergencies, the district said in a statement to the Tribune.<\/p>\n

\u201cDespite potential federal law enforcement actions, CPS leadership, staff, and students remain focused on teaching and learning,\u201d it said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

West Aurora School District 129 encourages families to update their emergency contact information during registration, said the district\u2019s executive director of student and family services Marti Neahring. ICE agents were reported in Aurora<\/a> earlier this week.<\/p>\n

\u201cSchool District 129 has always worked, and will continue to work, closely with the local authorities who serve our community to prioritize the safety and well-being of our students,\u201d Neahring said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A suburban Chicago student is in custody after being arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers at…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":238355,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5124],"tags":[12459,960,16742,16743,407,5410,5386,1818,409,3060,277,2065,54186,9280],"class_list":{"0":"post-238354","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-chicago","8":"tag-aurora","9":"tag-chicago","10":"tag-chicago-public-schools","11":"tag-cps","12":"tag-education","13":"tag-ice","14":"tag-il","15":"tag-illinois","16":"tag-immigration","17":"tag-schools","18":"tag-trump","19":"tag-u-s-immigration-and-customs-enforcement","20":"tag-waukegan","21":"tag-west-chicago"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115229731239808700","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/238354","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=238354"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/238354\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/238355"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=238354"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=238354"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=238354"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}