Chicago Daycare Raids Spark Trauma in Children and Parents: 'It Was Beyond Traumatic'
A harrowing scene unfolded at Rayito de Sol Spanish Immersion Early Learning Center in Chicago's Roscoe Village neighborhood, leaving the community shaken. Adam Gonzalez, a lawyer and volunteer with rapid-response work, witnessed two men in black body armor, masked, surrounding the school. What followed was nothing short of traumatic: a day care teacher, Diana Patricia Santillana Galeano, being dragged away by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, her arms behind her back.
The incident occurred on November 5 as Gonzalez watched, documenting the event with his phone. The scene was marked by chaos, with parents and coworkers shouting in protest while Galeano yelled "tengo papeles" - Spanish for "I have papers." In a chilling video, the teacher is seen being pushed into a car before being whisked away.
Operation Midway Blitz, launched by the Trump administration as part of an aggressive immigration crackdown, has deployed ICE agents across multiple cities. The tactics have been deemed aggressive, with instances of heavily armed raids and guns drawn in Chicago apartment buildings.
Gonzalez described the aftermath as "beyond traumatic." He relives the scene every day, hearing Galeano's cries still echoing in his mind. The incident took a toll on the community, leaving parents questioning their safety. For Gonzalez, sending his 17-month-old son back to the daycare center remains uncertain.
"This was a safe space for us," he said. "It was taken away from us." According to Dr. Carla Marie Manly, a psychologist, early childhood is a formative period where exposure to fear-inducing events can have lasting effects on children. Witnessing a parent being handcuffed or experiencing the abduction of their teacher can lead to equating safe spaces with sources of fear and anxiety.
As the community grapples with the fear of ICE presence, families are forced to make difficult decisions about sending their children to school or work. For some, like Alice Dreyden from a Head Start center in Chicago, it has led to the loss of young friends due to parents' fears. "Kids pick up on all that," she said. "It's damaging developmentally to have to be in that kind of environment."
The incident highlights the traumatic impact of ICE raids on families and children, particularly those from immigrant communities. As Erma Jackson, a home childcare center owner, noted, the mere presence of ICE agents can instill fear in both children and parents.
Gonzalez's experience serves as a stark reminder of the human toll of immigration policies. The question remains: how will this community heal and recover from the trauma inflicted by ICE raids?
A harrowing scene unfolded at Rayito de Sol Spanish Immersion Early Learning Center in Chicago's Roscoe Village neighborhood, leaving the community shaken. Adam Gonzalez, a lawyer and volunteer with rapid-response work, witnessed two men in black body armor, masked, surrounding the school. What followed was nothing short of traumatic: a day care teacher, Diana Patricia Santillana Galeano, being dragged away by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, her arms behind her back.
The incident occurred on November 5 as Gonzalez watched, documenting the event with his phone. The scene was marked by chaos, with parents and coworkers shouting in protest while Galeano yelled "tengo papeles" - Spanish for "I have papers." In a chilling video, the teacher is seen being pushed into a car before being whisked away.
Operation Midway Blitz, launched by the Trump administration as part of an aggressive immigration crackdown, has deployed ICE agents across multiple cities. The tactics have been deemed aggressive, with instances of heavily armed raids and guns drawn in Chicago apartment buildings.
Gonzalez described the aftermath as "beyond traumatic." He relives the scene every day, hearing Galeano's cries still echoing in his mind. The incident took a toll on the community, leaving parents questioning their safety. For Gonzalez, sending his 17-month-old son back to the daycare center remains uncertain.
"This was a safe space for us," he said. "It was taken away from us." According to Dr. Carla Marie Manly, a psychologist, early childhood is a formative period where exposure to fear-inducing events can have lasting effects on children. Witnessing a parent being handcuffed or experiencing the abduction of their teacher can lead to equating safe spaces with sources of fear and anxiety.
As the community grapples with the fear of ICE presence, families are forced to make difficult decisions about sending their children to school or work. For some, like Alice Dreyden from a Head Start center in Chicago, it has led to the loss of young friends due to parents' fears. "Kids pick up on all that," she said. "It's damaging developmentally to have to be in that kind of environment."
The incident highlights the traumatic impact of ICE raids on families and children, particularly those from immigrant communities. As Erma Jackson, a home childcare center owner, noted, the mere presence of ICE agents can instill fear in both children and parents.
Gonzalez's experience serves as a stark reminder of the human toll of immigration policies. The question remains: how will this community heal and recover from the trauma inflicted by ICE raids?
Watching parents & kids suffer like that is just heartbreaking 
. What kinda ppl do they think are gonna 'fear'ICE? 
Immigrant families already living in fear, now they're traumatizing their own kids... it's a never-ending cycle of pain 
. Can't imagine sending my little one to daycare knowing those agents are lurking around the corner 
. It's called being in America, you know? We got rules and stuff. ICE can't just barge into a daycare center whenever they feel like it 
. I mean, I'm no expert or anything, but it seems like there's some miscommunication going on here. The community needs to chill out and figure out what really happened instead of just assuming everyone involved is a villain 
.
. We need to focus on being compassionate and understanding rather than jumping to conclusions 
.
I'm literally shaking thinking about what that teacher must have gone through 
The whole thing was so wrong, especially with those agents in black body armor - it's like something out of a bad movie 
. As a parent myself, the thought of my kid being traumatized by all this is just too much to handle 
#JusticeForImmigrantFamilies #ProtectOurKids #EndICEraids
.
it just makes me wanna scream why are we doing this to our kids?!?! 
. We gotta do better, you know? Create safe spaces for everyone, regardless of background or immigration status 
. Can't we all just coexist peacefully? 
.
. As Dr. Manly said, early childhood is so important for development, and exposing them to fear like that can have lasting effects.
. We need some real solutions to this immigration crisis, like a pathway to citizenship for undocumented families, not these aggressive raids that cause so much trauma.
.
. And what's with the black body armor and masks? Like, who needs that kind of fear to start a day 
.
I'm so concerned about these daycare raids, it's just not right. They're dragging away teachers like Diana Galeano without even checking their paperwork properly - it's crazy! 
.