UNITED STATES NEWS

Secret Service agents, not ICE, visited Chicago school, officials say amid deportation fears

Jan 24, 2025, 7:34 PM

Activist Lapis Marigold with Revcom Corps Chicago talks to people outside of Hamline Elementary Sch...

Activist Lapis Marigold with Revcom Corps Chicago talks to people outside of Hamline Elementary School after federal agents were turned away on Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS

(AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

CHICAGO (AP) — The U.S. Secret Service said its agents visited a Chicago elementary school Friday while investigating a threat, hours after school officials mistakenly claimed that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents had come to the building.

In a statement Friday evening, Chicago Public Schools leaders said that after their initial comments went out about ICE agents, they learned the agents were from the Secret Service. The false alarm heightened fears among immigrant communities in the country’s third-largest city.

“Our original communication was a result of a misunderstanding, reflective of the fear and concerns in the community amid the new administration’s focus on undocumented immigrants,” the statement said.

The Trump administration touted deportation efforts this week and published new rules making it easier to remove people as part of a flurry of actions to crack down on illegal immigration.

The statement from Chicago Public Schools said two people showed up at the door of Hamline Elementary School and presented identification including the name Department of Homeland Security, the federal agency that oversees ICE. School officials responded to the agents with the understanding that they were from ICE, amid rumors and reports that the agency was in the community, school district officials said.

The agents were from the Secret Service Chicago Field Office and visited the school while investigating a threat made against a government official they protect, according to statement sent by Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi. He said agents first visited a home in a local neighborhood and then went to the school.

“Agents identified themselves to the school principal and provided business cards with their contact information,” the statement said.

He said the agents left without incident.

“We do not investigate nor enforce immigration laws,” the statement said.

ICE officials said in a statement that no immigration enforcement actions took place Friday at or near a school in Chicago.

Chicago Public Schools officials said the agents were not allowed into the school or to speak with staff or students.

“While this was a misunderstanding in terms of the specific branch of DHS, the school’s response demonstrates that our system, in partnership with community organizations, is prepared and ready to keep our students and staff safe,” the statement said.

United States News

In this still image from video provided by the Second Judicial District Court multiple people brawl...

Associated Press

New Mexico courtroom devolves into brawl as men rush defendant in homicide case

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A routine hearing in a New Mexico state courtroom devolved into chaos when two people rushed the defendant in a murder case, setting off a brawl with flying fists and kicks. Courtroom video cameras recorded the Jan. 31 melee that has resulted in felony charges against two men who apparently rushed […]

1 hour ago

President Donald Trump attends the National Prayer Breakfast at Washington Hilton, Thursday, Feb. 6...

Associated Press

Are government-paid media subscriptions a ‘scandal’? That’s what Donald Trump is now asserting

NEW YORK (AP) — Federal government payments to news outlets like Politico, The New York Times and The Associated Press for subscriptions or to license content are in the crosshairs of Trump administration spending hawks, with the president on Thursday calling it potentially “THE BIGGEST SCANDAL OF THEM ALL.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt […]

2 hours ago

Associated Press

Former college adjunct professor gets 8 years in prison for sexually abusing women from El Salvador

NEW YORK (AP) — A former City College chemistry adjunct professor was sentenced Thursday to eight years in prison for sexually abusing three women from El Salvador after convincing them to travel to the U.S. for a better life. Jorge Alberto Ramos, 45, was sentenced in Manhattan federal court by Judge John G. Koeltl. He […]

3 hours ago

Associated Press

Trump administration plans to slash all but a fraction of USAID jobs, officials say

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration presented a plan Thursday to dramatically cut staffing worldwide for U.S. aid projects as part of its dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development, leaving fewer than 300 workers out of thousands. Two current USAID employees and one former senior USAID official told The Associated Press of the […]

3 hours ago

Law officials escort a suspect from an apartment to a waiting utility vehicle for transport during ...

Associated Press

US border czar blames leaks for hindering immigration raids in Colorado suburb spotlighted by Trump

DENVER (AP) — Donald Trump’s border czar on Thursday blamed news media leaks for hindering a large-scale operation in a Denver suburb the president has held up in his efforts to link violent crime with immigration. More than 100 members of the Tren de Aragua gang were targeted Wednesday at apartment buildings and other sites […]

3 hours ago

FILE - In this photo reviewed by U.S. military officials, flags fly at half-staff at Camp Justice, ...

Associated Press

Newly unsealed documents reveal more details of prosecutors’ evidence in 9/11 attacks

WASHINGTON (AP) — Newly unsealed documents give one of the most detailed views yet of the evidence gathered on the accused 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, including how prosecutors allege he and others interacted with the hijackers who carried out the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. The summaries of evidence released Thursday include Mohammed’s own statements […]

4 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

Collins Comfort Masters

Collins Comfort Masters: Your go-to plumbing experts in Arizona

Collins Comfort Masters, a trusted name in HVAC, water and plumbing since 1985, is you go-to plumbers for the residents of Phoenix and the Valley.

...

Bright Wealth Management

How to save money on retirement planning following 2024 election

PHOENIX -- With the 2024 election over, economic changes could impact how people plan for retirement as 2025 is on the horizon.

...

Day & Night Air Conditioning, Heating and Plumbing

Why a Heating Tune-Up is Essential Before Winter

PHOENIX, AZ — With cooler weather on the horizon, making sure your heating system is prepped and ready can make all the difference in staying comfortable this winter.

Secret Service agents, not ICE, visited Chicago school, officials say amid deportation fears