ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Gathered in Annapolis, members and supporters of CASA shared their fears of ICE raids hitting their communities.
"We have seen this before, mass deportation, ICE raids, children ripped from classrooms, families apart, and students left too terrified to even show up to school," said Crisaly De Los Santos the Central Maryland director of CASA.
Matt Hornbeck, the principal at Hampstead Hill Academy in Baltimore says parents of children here legally are concerned for their safety as well.
"His parents are so fearful that they sent color copies of his passport and Visa directly to his classroom teachers. These parents explained that if ICE were to come to school and God forbid to the classroom the teacher could show ICE the papers and say please don't take this child," said Hornbeck.
A student from Baltimore County shared her fears.
"Right now, many of us are living in fear. Students like me shouldn't have to worry that when we go to school our parents are even ourselves may be taken by ICE," said the student.
Along with a mother who said she saw ICE vans outside of her children's school in Dundalk.
"On the first day, I was with my friend waiting for my children and she was waiting for hers when she saw ICE trucks parked and panicked. She was terrified and I tried to hide here, fearing the worst could happen to her or her family," said Ana.
The group is pushing for legislation to require Maryland's Attorney General to issue guidance on the rights of people in schools, hospitals and churches to help them avoid being picked up by ICE.
"It is not our fault here in the state of Maryland that the federal immigration system is broken and our communities do not deserve to be disrupted and destroyed and to live in fear because that system has not been fixed," said Delegate Jared Solomon, a Democrat from Montgomery County.
Delegate Kathy Szeliga is calling this fake news.
"ICE is not raiding schools so this is fake news and it's CASA ginning up fake outrage," said Szeliga.
Szeliga says ICE is focusing on people who have committed crimes and are here illegally.
Referencing a case last year when local police went into a Howard County school to arrest someone accused of murder.
"If we're going to allow police in our school to apprehend American citizens, why would we not allow ICE in for the very same reasons," said Szeliga.
The bill has yet to be filed but is expected to have support of Democrat leadership in the House and Senate.
