AFT Maryland and AFT Respond to Horrific ICE Arrests at Baltimore Pre-K Graduation

BALTIMORE-AFT-Maryland President Kenya Campbell and AFT President Randi Weingarten issued the following statement after two individuals were kidnapped by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers on Commodore John Rodgers Elementary/Middle School property in Southeast Baltimore.

"Yesterday, the Commodore John Rodgers community was supposed to be celebrating. Instead, children were terrorized after their parents were disappeared by armed government thugs. This is not law enforcement-it is repugnant, reckless intimidation to feed a sick political spectacle. We will not stand for this unconscionable assault on the values of safety, sanctuary and common decency that schools are meant to uphold.

"This is not an isolated incident-it's the direct result of the Trump administration's gutting of long-standing immigration protections for sensitive locations, including schools, hospitals and houses of worship. By illegally rescinding the previous 2021 policy, the president has greenlit an attack on families in the places where they should feel most secure. Millions of children have been traumatized, parents have been scared to send their kids to class, and patients have avoided seeking care.

"Today is a stark reminder of the stakes just days after Congress passed an odious party-line bill funding ICE for three more years. We have filed an emergency motion to stop ICE from operating in and around schools-and we expect a decision soon. And we will continue to rise up on streets across the country to stand up for vulnerable communities who seek only to live their lives without fear."

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The AFT represents 1.8 million pre-K through 12th-grade teachers; paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel; higher education faculty and professional staff; federal, state and local government employees; nurses and healthcare workers; and early childhood educators.