CHICAGO (February 26, 2025) — Federal immigration enforcement officials detained an adult during a school dropoff Wednesday morning at a charter school campus on Chicago’s South West Side, sparking fear and concern among families.
In a letter to families, the principals of Acero Schools’ Soto High School and Idar Elementary confirmed that the incident occurred around 8:15 a.m. at the corner of 51st and St. Louis Avenue in Gage Park. The adult was in a vehicle with two students when they were detained by agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
The principals, Elizabeth Obrzut and Nicolle Macias, reassured families that the students were safely escorted into the school away from the scene. They acknowledged the emotional toll the event caused, stating, “We understand how stressful and upsetting this is to our school communities.” Additional social work support was offered to the affected students.
Neither ICE nor ATF have confirmed details of the incident.
The Acero Schools campus, which serves over 1,000 students, is predominantly Hispanic, with 98% of its students identifying as Latino. Helena Stangle, Acero’s chief culture officer, emphasized that staff followed protocols and contacted the Chicago Public Schools Office of Safety and Security. She also highlighted the intensive training Acero staff undergo in handling such situations and the availability of the network’s Civil Rights Resource Hub for families.
This incident follows a policy change from the Trump administration last month, which ended the designation of schools and childcare centers as “sensitive” locations where immigration enforcement would be restricted.
Yesenia Lopez, the elected school board member representing District 7, commended the school staff for their response. “No child should be afraid of going to school because they fear seeing their parents ambushed during school drop-offs,” Lopez said. “Our schools should be places of safety and learning, not fear and separation.”
Ald. Jeylu Gutierrez, whose ward includes the Acero schools, identified the detained individual as a father of three children, two of whom attend the schools. She said the family is devastated, and many families in the community are deeply affected.
Gutierrez also noted that several families skipped a candlelight vigil on Wednesday evening, which focused on the potential closure of three Acero schools, out of caution. At the vigil, union staff reminded attendees of their rights. “Remember your rights,” said Hilario Dominguez, legislative director for the Chicago Teachers Union. “You don’t have to talk to ICE.”
This incident comes shortly after a similar situation at another elementary school in the Back of the Yards neighborhood, where U.S. Secret Service agents were mistaken for ICE officers, causing confusion and fear. Many neighborhoods on Chicago’s South West Side, which have large Latino and immigrant populations, have been on high alert since the Trump administration ramped up immigration enforcement.
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