A landscaper with a Chicago Public Schools vendor was working on the property of Decatur Classical School in West Ridge when he was detained by immigration officers on Tuesday, school district officials confirmed.
This appears to be the first time in recent memory that a CPS employee or vendor has been detained by federal immigration agents on school property. It’s raising questions about the safety of parents and students around school areas as immigration enforcement continues even as CPS has tried to assure immigrant families they are safe at school.
Video of the encounter shared on social media shows the man with other crew members on what appears to be the front lawn of the school building on the North Side. Landscaping equipment is on school grounds just off the sidewalk.
“We’re in school property, too, you guys can’t do that at school property,” the man taking the video is heard saying to the federal agents. Masked officers lead the employee into the back of a black SUV as onlookers blow whistles and ask, apparently unsuccessfully, for a warrant or ID from the federal agents.
Christy Webber, president of CPS vendor Christy Webber Landscaping, posted the video on her Facebook page and identified the man as one of her employees.
“This was right on the front lawn of the school, ain’t that bull—-,” Webber wrote. It was unclear whether the employee was still in custody. Webber didn’t immediately respond to requests for more details. Federal immigration officials also did not respond to questions.
CPS also confirmed the employee worked for Christy Webber and that the arrest happened on school grounds. In a statement, the district said it’s aware of activity near schools, including Tuesday’s incident, but “no incidents have occurred inside any CPS buildings. School remains the safest and best place for students to be.”
CPS this fall has declined to offer remote learning as an option for families, saying “in-person instruction continues to provide the strongest foundation for learning.”
CPS has repeatedly tried to reassure families that they are safe at school and has provided resources, including tips for traveling safety to school, a reminder of their constitutional rights and CPS protocols. The district doesn’t allow immigration agents access to CPS facilities unless they have a criminal judicial warrant signed by a federal judge. But it’s unclear if that policy extends to school grounds and whether CPS can tell Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers that they are trespassing if they’re spotted outside on school property.
The district didn’t answer specific questions about those policies.
In a message to the community on Tuesday, Decatur officials said no students witnessed the landscaper being detained or interacted with federal agents. Afternoon physical education classes were held inside.
Ebony DeBerry, an elected school board member in the district that includes Decatur, said the district is in a tough spot because they have limited influence over what happens outside of the classroom and immigration enforcement activity is unpredictable.
“We can’t guard for every situation because this is just becoming more and more … blatant and happening at several places at the same time,” DeBerry said of the stepped up enforcement that has swept across the city and the suburbs since the Trump administration launched its enforcement campaign here last month. “Every day we’re faced with unimaginable circumstances.”
She said it’s also challenging because immigration officers seem to be getting bolder.
“I’m so disheartened that somebody would be swept up off the street in front of a school in the commission of their job,” DeBerry said.
Local Ald. Debra Silverstein (50th) called what happened “terrible,” saying the man “was just doing his job” when agents detained him.
“The school is on a quiet street and to arrest somebody while kids are nearby is just horrible,” she said.
Silverstein said she has scheduled a call with representatives of the mayor’s office to discuss the incident and what else the city can do to protect schools.
Several schools in Chicago have gone on lockdown or soft lockdowns due to immigration activity near their buildings in recent weeks. Students have been pulled in from recess and some have canceled their events.
Mayor Brandon Johnson has signed an executive order prohibiting city-owned property, including school parking lots, from being used for immigration operations. Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle signed a similar order barring county property from being used for immigration enforcement. It’s unclear if federal agents used any public parking lots in the operation on Tuesday. In the video, the car used to transport the employee was parked on the street.