On Thursday morning, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained a man and a woman on the grounds of the temporary campus for Commodore John Rodgers Elementary/Middle School on Fait Avenue near Dundalk. A bystander video shows officers wrestling the man to the ground during the morning drop-off while a child in a nearby car cries out. School leaders told families that students and staff who were not involved remained safe and that classes and scheduled activities continued.
Video obtained by The Banner shows two agents in khaki pants and vests labeled "POLICE ICE" struggling with the man as another bystander records. The Banner reports that officers handcuffed him and walked him to an unmarked black Dodge Charger with a Maryland license plate, and that a second video reviewed by the outlet shows officers detaining the woman who had been in the car. In the recordings, bystanders repeatedly shout that the action is taking place on school property while other parents pull children away from the scene.
Officials “are aware of a federal immigration enforcement action that occurred on our campus this morning,” Principal Marc Martin told parents in a call, according to The Banner. The district said students and staff who were not involved remained safe and that school leaders were working with district officials to determine next steps. Baltimore City Public Schools, the Baltimore Police Department, and ICE did not immediately respond to requests for comment, the outlet reported.
What the law says
Local policies and a recent state law aim to limit when immigration officers can enter private areas of school property. Prince George’s County Public Schools’ board policy, which implements approaches in the Maryland Values Act (HB 1222), directs staff to deny access to private spaces unless agents present a judicial warrant or there are exigent circumstances, and to document any enforcement contact. See Prince George's County Public Schools. At the federal level, the Department of Homeland Security rescinded guidance in January 2025 that had discouraged enforcement at sensitive locations such as schools, a change that national outlets documented. See CBS News.
Why families are on edge
Commodore John Rodgers serves roughly 774 pre-K through 8 students, and federal school data show the student body is heavily Hispanic, with 350 students identified as Hispanic in the latest counts. See NCES. National reporting and tracking projects have documented enforcement actions on or near school grounds in multiple cities since the federal policy change, prompting districts to tighten protocols for interacting with immigration agents. See K-12 Dive for broader context.
The morning encounter left families shaken as staff guided students into classrooms and prepared for preschool graduations later in the day. School leaders said they will work with district officials to review what happened and update families, and this story will be updated as more information becomes available.
