In an incident that has sent shockwaves through the community, a beloved pre-K teacher, identified as Diana Santillana Galeano, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers at the Rayito de Sol Spanish Immersion Early Learning Center as parents were bringing in their young children.
The quiet, comforting routine of a morning drop-off at a North Side Chicago Spanish immersion day care was shattered by the alarming sight of armed federal agents.
Witnesses account a chaotic scene
Witness accounts paint a chaotic and deeply disturbing picture. Around 7 a.m., as the facility opened, parents reported seeing officers in tactical gear, some bearing “POLICE ICE” vests, chase the teacher into the building.
Bystander video, widely circulated, appears to show agents forcibly detaining the woman in the entry area and dragging her outside while she reportedly shouted in Spanish, “Tengo papeles!” or “I have papers.” Parents and teachers described a scene of trauma, with crying children, panicked staff, and a feeling that the school was under attack.
The teacher, a Colombian national, was an infant classroom educator and a mother herself. Parents and local officials have testified to her valued role in the community and the fact that she possessed a valid work permit, granted through a pending asylum application.
This detail intensified the outrage, with local representatives condemning the use of aggressive force against a trusted community member with employment authorization. U.S. Representative Mike Quigley called for immediate accountability, stating, “No child should ever be terrorized in their school.”
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials offered a conflicting narrative, denying that the day care was the target. According to DHS, agents attempted a targeted traffic stop of the vehicle Galeano was in, but the driver refused to stop.
The agency claims the driver and Galeano fled into the day care, with the driver attempting to barricade himself inside, and that the teacher was arrested in a “vestibule,” not inside the school.
Conflicting accounts arise from ICE incident
They also asserted that she initially lied about her identity. However, Alderman Matt Martin and other officials who viewed surveillance footage from inside the school disputed the DHS statement, claiming the agents entered multiple rooms and questioned other staff members while children were present.
The school, which quickly closed for the day following the arrest, has an expressed mission of exposing children to Latin American culture, and its staff, many of whom are from Central and South America, are described as highly qualified and dedicated.
The incident has raised fears among immigrant families and highlighted the growing anxiety surrounding increasingly aggressive enforcement tactics, even in locations historically considered “sensitive” and generally off-limits for immigration enforcement.
Furthermore, this traumatic event caused by ICE has reverberated far beyond the day care’s walls, sparking public outcry and a local fundraising campaign to support the teacher’s legal defense.
Moreover, it serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of immigration enforcement, particularly when it unfolds in sacred spaces like schools, leaving an entire community grappling with the emotional fallout.