Shocking Ring doorbell camera footage appears to shows the moment scared New Jersey schoolchildren ran from their bus stop as federal ICE agents carried out an operation nearby.
Lindenwold School District families were notified Thursday about a federal immigration enforcement operation that occurred around 8 a.m. at the Woodland Village Apartments. The district said 4th and 5th-grade students waiting for their buses were frightened and confused by the presence of multiple immigration enforcement vehicles and agents, causing some children to run from the bus stop, according to NBC10.
Students in the footage, posted to the public Hispanos Unidos en NJ Lindenwold Facebook page, can be heard yelling, “ICE, ICE.” In another video obtained by NBC10, one student alerts the others in Spanish, “ICE is there.”
“Our bus driver acted quickly and responsibly, circling back multiple times to ensure as many children as possible were safely transported to school. I would like to sincerely thank him for caring for our children and putting their safety first,” a school official said in a letter to parents also shared on the district’s Facebook page.
Hugo Cuello, 10, told NBC10, with his mother’s permission, that federal immigration agents were looking for his father and that he was at the bus stop with his mother when multiple vehicles arrived, prompting him to warn other children that ICE officers were present.
The outlet did not report what became of the alleged search for Cuello’s father, but obtained a separate video that appears to show several federal agents knocking on a door and waiting for someone to answer.
Fellow student Valery Pachecho Nunez claimed that ICE agents chased the fleeing students, and that she ran to a neighbor’s house because her mother was at work.
"It makes me feel sad because some people are leaving this country without their parents," she told NBC10.
Support was provided to upset students at the bilingual school, with counselors on hand to help, according to the report.
ICE agents were not present at any Lindenwold School District facilities and staff said they would closely supervise dismissal and bus loading.
“If your child is experiencing anxiety or distress related to this morning's events, I encourage you to reach out to your building principal so we can provide additional support,” school officials said.
In response to the incident, district officials reported reaching out to county and state representatives to advocate for protocols that prioritize the safety of children during any future enforcement operations.
The Independent has contacted the Lindenwold School District, Lindenwold Police Department and ICE for further comment.
The widespread footage prompted Lindenwold residents to protest Friday near the Woodland Village Apartments, WPVI reports. The crowd carried signs, played music and honked horns to show support for the local immigrant community.
U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross, a Democrat from New Jersey, joined the protest and said the video footage troubled him.
"What I saw in that video, children running away scared, this is how bad ICE is. That as soon as they heard, they ran home to their parents to see if they're OK," Norcross told the outlet.
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