U.S. ICE agents entered a school in Chicago but were turned away.

Question

While some may have heard the news that ICE agents were turned away at a local elementary school in Chicago, this claim is false. ICE agents never entered the Chicago South Side School, but it was the U.S. Secret Service's agents instead that set foot inside the school grounds on January 24th, 2025. The Secret Service agents said in a statement that they identified themselves to the school principal and left business cards, despite being turned down. CPS (Chicago Public Schools) mistook the officials for ICE agents because of the "fear and concerns in the community amid the new administration’s focus on undocumented immigrants,” said a CPS spokesperson. According to CBS News, the school's student body is over 90% Hispanic, which makes sense as to why the school would be at a raised awareness of ICE agents entering the grounds. Furthermore, news sources claim that the Secret Service agents were there on account of an online threat that a student made on TikTok against President Donald Trump. 

Answer 1

This claim of the ICE agents being turned away at a Chicago school is false because after reading articles by NBC news and CNN article. The agents that went into the school that Friday morning were not ICE agents but agents from the Secret Service who were going for a investigation that was a potential threat about the new White House administration which their job is to protect the administration. The school thought they were ICE agents and didn't let them through to keep students and staff safe, also the district had said that if any agents from ICE would come to the school they will not let them go into the school without a warrant signed by a federal judge. This claim is false from the news that I have found and investigated.

Sources:

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/chicago-school-district-says-was-wrong-ice-agents-going-school-rcna189248

https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/24/us/ice-agents-attempt-entry-into-chicago-elementary-school

Comments

Very straightforward response overall, and good use of multiple sources. Way to address this claim as false given the wording of the first claim made on this thread.

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This fact check is well structured and uses very reputable sources to back it. The way you synthesize the sources into your fact check is also very good as it makes the fact check easy to read and understand. One thing I would recommend is to delve deeper into your analysis to bolster the quality a bit more. Overall, great work and look forward to learning more about this topic.

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I like how you build your sources into your fact check and a re very concise and to the point.

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I appreciate that your factcheck is clear, informative, and demonstrates good critical thinking. You correctly distinguish between ICE and the secret service, which is key to understanding the overall situation. I like how you used very trusted sources like NBCNEWS and CNN. This shows that your information is credible.

Answer 2

Nice post! Your title is somewhat misleading, as you then dispute the claim made in the headline; however, your facts and sources are solid. I would try to integrate multiple sources to help back up your claims, as well as introduce your quotes. For example, the Secret Service issued a statement regarding the event, stating, " Agents identified themselves to the school principal and provided business cards with their contact information, a Secret Service spokesman said in a statement. The agents left without incident. The Secret Service investigates all threats made against those we protect; we do not investigate or enforce immigration laws (WTTW Chicago). Nicely done!

Comments

I believe this is a solid comment because it offers clear and helpful feedback while also acknowledging the good points of the original post. It respectfully highlights a problem with the title, suggests better use of sources, and even provides a useful example of how to introduce a quote more effectively. It's fair, detailed, and encouraging. Good job man.

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I like how you used a direct quote from a source in support in your fact check.  I would've liked to have your sources linked though.

Answer 3

The claim that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents entered a Chicago school but were turned away is false. On January 24, 2025, two agents from the U.S. Secret Service visited Hamline Elementary School in Chicago's Back of the Yards neighborhood as part of an investigation into a threat against a government official. The agents identified themselves to the school principal, provided business cards, and left without incident. However, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) officials initially misidentified the agents as being from ICE, leading to widespread concern within the community. This confusion stemmed from the agents presenting identification from the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees both ICE and the Secret Service. CPS later clarified the misunderstanding, attributing it to heightened fears amid recent federal policy changes regarding immigration enforcement at sensitive locations .

https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2025/01/24/immigration-agents-attempted-to-enter-a-chicago-elementary-school-school-district-says?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-public-schools-false-ice-report-video-shows-secret-service-agents-approach-hamline-elementary-school-back-yards/15852803/?utm_source=chatgpt.com