A video capturing the detention of a woman at a preschool in Chicago has ignited debate after a Democratic congressman criticized the operation, only for federal authorities to dispute his claims.
Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) shared footage on Wednesday showing Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents removing a woman from a preschool. He accused ICE of targeting the facility, stating, “ICE isn’t going after the worst of the worst. This morning, they took a preschool teacher without a warrant IN FRONT OF CHILDREN in my district.”
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) quickly refuted Quigley’s account, asserting that agents were not at the location to target the daycare. A DHS statement claimed officers conducted a “targeted traffic stop” of an undocumented woman from Colombia after she fled into the preschool with her partner. The agency described the couple abandoning a vehicle at a shopping mall before entering the facility, where they attempted to barricade themselves.
DHS emphasized that the woman was arrested in a vestibule, not inside the school, and “lied about her identity” upon detention. The statement added that details about the male suspect and criminal history would be released later.
Quigley responded with only two words: “Unacceptable.” A WGN-TV report cited the Rayito de Sol Spanish Immersion Early Learning Center, which stated officers did not present a warrant and followed the woman, who was arriving for work. The school’s statement highlighted the lack of legal justification for the operation.
