LINDENWOLD, N.J. (WPVI) — A South Jersey community was shaken Tuesday after several elementary school students said they felt unsafe while waiting for their school bus when Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were spotted nearby, according to the Lindenwold School District.
District officials said ICE agents were present near a bus stop at the Woodland Village Apartments on Gibbsboro Road at the same time fourth and fifth-grade students were waiting to be picked up for Lindenwold School 5. As agents exited their vehicles, some of the children became frightened and ran from the area.
Kids and parents said what began as a normal morning was abruptly disrupted, leaving children scared, confused and fearing they were in danger.
“The kids were very frightened,” said Viki Pearson of Lindenwold. “I’m absolutely furious that this is going on in this area, in any area, especially where kids are involved.”
Video taken just before 8 a.m. shows children running along sidewalks and across parking lots at the apartment complex.
“I was literally terrified. I was crying like I was about to throw up, too,” said Dylan Cruz of Lindenwold.
The school district said the bus driver allowed the students who remained at the stop to board and then circled the complex to locate and pick up those who had run away.
A school bus monitor who was on the bus that morning described the scene once the children were on board.
“It just kinda broke my heart because once they were actually on the bus, they were just huddled up like with their hands over their heads, like crying underneath the seats,” said Amanda C. of Winslow Township.
“It was just a really horrible morning overall for them. I spent the majority of the ride trying to console them and trying to get them to stop crying,” she added.
The Department of Homeland Security has not yet responded to questions about the enforcement activity or whether the timing was coincidental or if the bus stop was targeted.
“We were in panic. I was crying. My friend was too, so we were all screaming. I don’t want people to have their parents taken away, and I want mine taken away,” said 11-year-old Valerie Pacheco-Nunez.
“I’m still scared and a little bit traumatized by it. Like seeing it for the first time. I’ve seen it on pictures but not in real life,” said Pacheco-Nunez’s friend, Eileen Ortiz, also 11-years-old.
In a statement, Lindenwold Schools Superintendent Dr. Kristin O’Neil said all students were accounted for, and support services were immediately provided.
“Today, we were informed that ICE agents were present at one of our local community complexes at the same time 4th and 5th grade students were waiting at their assigned bus stop. As the agents exited their vehicles, several students became frightened and ran from the immediate bus stop area,” O’Neil said.
“The bus driver permitted the students who remained at the stop to board the bus and then circled the complex in an effort to locate and pick up the remaining students. We are grateful for the driver’s quick thinking and response,” she said.
O’Neil added that all students either arrived at school by bus, were transported by a parent or guardian, or remained home for the day, and that counseling services were made available upon arrival at school and will continue as needed.
“Our priority is always the safety and well-being of our children. We will continue to monitor the situation and ensure that our students feel safe, supported, and cared for in our schools,” she said.
The superintendent said morning arrival and afternoon dismissal will be closely monitored by additional staff and administrators.
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