Cincinnati Public School and law enforcement leaders came together Thursday to answer questions about reports that a police officer from outside the area tried to enter three schools claiming to be working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The officers, according to Cincinnati Public Schools Superintendent Shauna Murphy, were from Gratis, about 50 miles north of Cincinnati.
The officers, dressed in uniform, did not present any federal identification, Murphy said. They said they were with ICE, but Murphy said they did not produce a warrant. As soon as she became aware of the incident around noon on Wednesday, the district took action.
“Yesterday was a very busy day for Cincinnati Public Schools and our children,” Murphy said. All students were safe, she said.
The officers attempted to enter Rees E. Price, Western Hills and Withrow University High School, according to the district. Gratis Police Chief Tonina Lamanna and another officer said when they arrived at the schools that they were there to complete wellness checks on the students as representatives of ICE, Murphy said.
“I viewed it as a threat,” Murphy said. “I have never been asked about doing a wellness check before.”
ICE said in a statement that it does not target schools for enforcement actions.
“Yesterday, a local law enforcement partner attempted to verify school enrollment and conduct welfare checks on children who arrived unaccompanied across the border,” the statement said. “To be crystal clear, this was not an ICE officer or an enforcement action.”
Murphy said that the school district would never allow anyone to speak with students in their care without proper documentation.
“We have to have that documented consent,” Murphy said. “So in this case, we would never allow anyone, police or otherwise, to simply come in and speak to our children.”
City councilman Mark Jeffreys said the city is looking into whether the actions taken by the officers was a crime.
“This is something our law department right now is incredibly engaged in, and that’s where we need to take their lead. What are the legal options that we have?” Jeffreys said. “It is also incredibly disturbing. The idea that officers from a small town are going to come into a Cincinnati Public School, ask kids questions, or attempt to ask them questions is really disconcerting and frankly, outrageous.”
CPS board president Brandon Craig added at a Thursday press conference that he was grateful the school’s staff responded effectively and quickly.
“We have our staff doing the right thing, our staff took the right steps, and we’re very proud,” he said.
Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey said in a statement that she is working with federal and state partners to ensure guidelines and policies are followed.
“I am very aware of the incident that occurred yesterday at Cincinnati Public Schools, and the concerns around that type of attempted federal enforcement,” McGuffey said. “I am working in collaboration with Cincinnati Police to monitor and identify current ICE policies and / or actions.”
This was a first in her two-year tenure at the district, Murphy said.
“I mean, if something like this were to happen again, we’ll be prepared to protect our children and our staff,” Murphy said.
Eric Palmer, a parent of two CPS children, said he was happy to hear how the school handled this incident but wished initial communication about the incident to parents could have been a bit more clear.
Palmer said he thought the social media statement CPS posted Wednesday was vague and could have caused rumors to start spreading.
“If it was at one of my kids’ schools, they certainly would have heard about it,” Palmer said. “And I think that as their parent, I would want to be able to talk with them about it and have the facts about what happened.”
Palmer’s children did not attend the schools the officers visited.
“Hearing how they responded made me feel better,” he said.