The arrest by federal agents of a day care teacher inside a baby care center in northwest Chicago has drawn sturdy condemnation from native leaders.
Two ICE agents flanked the teacher Wednesday inside Rayito de Sol Spanish Immersion Early Learning Center after which compelled her exterior by the doorways together with her arms behind her again.
“This morning ICE agents followed a teacher into the facility without a warrant and abducted her in front of her students,” Rep. Mike Quigley stated at a information convention Wednesday afternoon, including the incident confirmed a “complete lack of humanity.”
The day care teacher’s arrest marks the most recent motion by federal immigration authorities to draw condemnation within the Chicago space, which has seen a sequence of aggressive tactics because the Department of Homeland Security launched “Operation Midway Blitz” at the start of September as a part of President Donald Trump’s nationwide enforcement agenda.
The arrest occurred “during the busiest time of drop-off where kids and families have to witness a teacher being forcibly removed and agents kitted up in tactical gear,” Chris Widen, whose 4-month-old son is taught by the girl, advised the Associated Press.
“These are the nicest, kindest people. They don’t deserve, these children don’t deserve to be living through this,” Esmeralda Rosales, whose baby attends the daycare, advised the AP.
Rayito de Sol, which interprets to Little Ray of Sunshine, provides companies for infants by pre-kindergarten-aged youngsters, with a number of areas all through the Chicago and Minneapolis areas, in keeping with the corporate’s web site.
NCS has reached out to a consultant for the teacher.
Quigley, a Democrat, stated the teacher, recognized by DHS, as Diana Patricia Santillana Galeano, was a trusted and beloved member of the group, insisting she has a piece allow.
A DHS spokesperson disputed the narrative that Galeano was chased inside the day care center.
“Officers attempted to conduct a targeted traffic stop of this female illegal alien from Colombia,” Tricia McLaughlin wrote in In a long post on X.
Officers tried to tug over a automobile registered to Galeano with sirens and emergency lights, “but the male driver refused to pull the vehicle over,” the put up continued.
“Law enforcement pursued the vehicle before the assailant sped into a shopping plaza where he and the female passenger fled the vehicle. They ran into a daycare and attempted to barricade themselves inside the daycare—recklessly endangering the children inside.”
“The illegal alien female was arrested inside a vestibule, not in the school. Upon arrest, she lied about her identity. The vehicle is registered to in her name, though she claims that she didn’t know the man who was driving her car and just picked him up from a bus stop,” McLaughlin added.
Galeano entered the US illegally after crossing the southern border in 2023, DHS stated in a separate assertion, noting having a piece authorization “does NOT confer any type of legal status to be in the US.”
Maria Guzman, a day care consultant and dad or mum at Rayito de Sol, referred to as the arrest an act of “domestic terrorism.”
“This is horrific. They have crossed a line,” Guzman stated.
Rep. Delia Ramirez stated she talked to lecturers who have been hiding inside the day care center, nervous they have been going to die.
“What happened today is despicable,” Ramirez stated through the information convention.
Ramirez, a Democrat, is a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security and stated she’s going to work together with her colleagues to launch a federal evaluation of the arrest.
“We need to make sure that people understand that these businesses have rights and we are going to do everything we can to help them uphold those rights. Those agents not just rushed in, they went into other rooms,” Ramirez stated.