A spokesperson with Red Clay School district said Friday that it can confirm that one individual believed to be associated with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was observed at Stanton Middle School Tuesday morning – and school administrative officials and security personnel approached them.
The district spokesperson said any arrests happened off the middle school’s campus and no students were taken into custody. The district cannot confirm reports that a parent was taken into custody off school grounds. It said, "any apparent enforcement activity occurred off school grounds, not on our school campus."
On Wednesday, Delaware PTA said it is “deeply concerned” by reports of ICE enforcement connected to a middle school student during morning drop-off at the school on Tuesday.
The PTA urged officials and school leadership, “to prioritize student safety… and ensure that every family is treated with dignity and respect.”
Delaware’s Governor Matt Meyer and Democratic state lawmakers of the House Majority Caucus also said they don't approve of the ICE presence at or near Stanton Middle School.
The House Majority Caucus leadership said it is "outraged" by civil immigration tactics, particularly, "when an ICE agent entered the (Stanton) school’s campus, and shortly after arrested an individual just off of school grounds."
In his own statement Meyer said that no matter a parent's ethnicity or nationality, they should be able to participate in school drop offs without fear of arrest or observation of federal agents.
Delaware passed laws recently to deter civil immigration arrests.
Meyer created the Office of New Americans last year. And it was codified this year.
Delaware Office of New Americans Director Rony Baltazar-Lopez said schools should be prepared for possible ICE presence with, "procedures for responding to immigration enforcement officials. School administrators should refer requests for access to student information to legal review."
Baltazar-Lopez added parents and families should have updated emergency contact info and authorized pick-ups for their children, in case of emergency.
Delaware of ACLU's Helen Salita said the state recently passed laws to establish sensitive locations, and ensure that Delaware personnel and resources are not used to help ICE target and detain Delawareans in these locations. And the new rules say that state enforcement can legally decide not to cooperate with ICE.
One of these, HB 150, prohibits civil immigration arrests at courthouses and labor hearings unless it's a valid judicial warrant. And HS 2 for HB 94 limits state law enforcement from working with federal law enforcement on in civil immigration enforcement at schools and daycares, places of worship, and medical facilities, unless there is a valid judicial warrant.
Salita's statement said if ICE violates an individual's civil rights or liberties, they can file a misconduct complaint with the Delaware Department of Justice or report it to the ACLU of Delaware.
