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Chicago School denies entry to Feds assuming they are from ICE, later confirmed as Secret Service

Jan 25, 2025 02:24 PM IST

Hamline Elementary School in Chicago denied entry to agents, fearing they were from ICE. Later confirmed as Secret Service investigating a threat.

On Friday morning, officials at Hamline Elementary School in Chicago denied federal agents entry, fearing they were from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). However, it was later confirmed that the agents were Secret Service officers pursuing a separate investigation.

A person walks by Hamline Elementary School after federal agents were turned away on Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)(AP)
A person walks by Hamline Elementary School after federal agents were turned away on Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)(AP)

Two agents from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) attempted to enter the school around 11:15 a.m. Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Chief Education Officer Bogdana Chkoumbova explained that the agents presented DHS identification.

“This was not a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement encounter,” an ICE spokesperson clarified in a statement to CNN. The Secret Service later confirmed that the agents were investigating a threat made against an unnamed government official.

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Principal Natasha Ortega reaffirms school's stance on ICE access

“In the course of their investigation, agents first visited a residence in a local neighbourhood and then made a visit to Hamline Elementary School,” Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi told CNN.

“Agents identified themselves to the school principal and provided business cards with their contact information. The agents left without incident. The Secret Service investigates all threats made against those we protect; we do not investigate nor enforce immigration laws.”

CPS officials followed established safety protocols to ensure the students’ safety and refused to allow the agents access to staff or students. “Regardless of which branch of Homeland Security visited this school, officials followed the established protocols to ensure student safety,” a district spokesperson said.

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Notably, acting Homeland Security Secretary Benjamine Huffman recently authorized ICE agents to arrest individuals near sensitive areas like schools and churches, reversing a long-standing policy designed to limit enforcement in these locations.

Principal Natasha Ortega addressed the school’s stance at a news conference, stating, “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.”

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