Education Minnesota demands ICE stays away from schools

Federal agents at Minneapolis school spark chaotic scene

Federal agents showed up at a Minneapolis high school on Wednesday, the day a woman was fatally shot by an ICE agent. Federal officials and union leaders have differing accounts as to what unfolded at the chaotic scene. FOX 9's Leah Beno reports. 

MINNESOTA (FOX 9) - Education Minnesota is telling ICE agents to stay away from the state's schools after multiple incidents in Minneapolis, including a confrontation at Roosevelt High School. 

READ MORE: 

• Minneapolis ICE shooting: Everything we know so far
• BCA won't have access to case material, FBI will lead investigation
• Live updates: Minneapolis ICE shooting protests
• Can Minnesota prosecute ICE agents? What the law says

Education Minnesota statement to ICE 

What they're saying:

Education Minnesota President Monica Byron released a statement that said, in part:

"ICE’s continued operations make every Minnesotan less safe. Their presence near our schools puts students and educators at serious risk. Every moment they remain near schools endangers children, educators and families. We demand that ICE operations be kept away from schools so students, educators and staff can learn and work in safety and peace." 

Byron adds that the actions taken by ICE in Minnesota, including the shooting Renee Good, detaining an educator and using pepper spray on students, are "unconscionable."

She also pointed out that the activity is disrupting teaching and learning, with Minneapolis Public Schools choosing to cancel class for the rest of the week on top of the "ongoing fear and emotional harm" that students feel during ICE operations. 

Roosevelt High School confrontation

Dig deeper:

According to the Minneapolis Federation of Educators, ICE agents were present outside Roosevelt High School Wednesday afternoon. The union alleged agents deployed tear gas, but later stated it was pepper spray, and "abducted" a school staff member who was assisting with a safe dismissal process. The educator was later released, the union said.

Videos posted online appear to show a confrontation involving ICE agents and students near the school, including the use of a chemical irritant.

The other side:

Federal officials, however, offered a different account of what happened. 

In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security claims Border Patrol agents were conducting immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis when a U.S. citizen was trying to impede those operations and escalated the situation by ramming a government vehicle. 

Federal officials claim the individual led agents on a 5-mile chase and drove recklessly through traffic before coming to a stop in the school zone near Roosevelt High School. 

According to DHS, while agents were removing the individual from the vehicle, another individual identifying themselves as a teacher assaulted a Border Patrol agent. DHS claims a crowd formed and that "rioters" threw objects and paint at officers and their vehicles.