© picture alliance / newscom | BONNIE CASH
Once again, an arrest by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has caused an uproar in the United States.
A man and a woman were detained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the parking lot of a school in Baltimore, in the presence of students and staff, which led to a major uproar. The operation, which took place just as the children were arriving, caused fear and panic among the children. Some children feared they would be arrested as well.
According to authorities, the two individuals were in the country illegally and allegedly resisted arrest. However, this account is disputed by the school, which, after reviewing video footage and witness statements, points to inconsistencies. The school also emphasizes that there was no coordination whatsoever with ICE.
"Fortunately, the staff acted quickly and courageously to bring the children to safety during the incident," a spokeswoman for the Baltimore school district said in a statement.
Behind the scenes, ICE has expressed regret over the arrest on school grounds. News network CNN reported that “circumstances had led ICE to the school grounds.”
“ICE leadership worked with school officials and the governor’s office to ensure the situation was resolved safely and with minimal disruption to the community,” a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement to CNN. "To be clear: ICE does not target schools, but we will not allow criminals to hide in our nation’s schools and endanger the safety of children."
She emphasized that the arrested man, whom ICE agents were following as he pulled into the school parking lot, had resisted arrest and “used his car to flee from police, dragging an ICE agent along with him.”
The incident was widely condemned by local officials, including the mayor of Baltimore and the governor of Maryland, who called it a traumatic ordeal for the children that undermines trust in institutions. “It is truly outrageous and unbelievable what happened this morning,” said Bill Ferguson, a Maryland state senator and member of the Democratic Party, in a video on Facebook.
This case is fueling the debate over ICE’s methods and their impact on communities.
Picture: © picture alliance / newscom | BONNIE CASH