The detention of two adults by agents of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE) during a preschool graduation ceremony in Baltimore, Maryland, provoked a strong reaction from state and local authorities, who questioned the carrying out of immigration operations in spaces linked to minors.

According to reports by the Daily Mail and statements from state officials, the arrests occurred Thursday in the parking lot of Commodore John Rodgers School, while families and students were participating in end-of-year activities.

Videos recorded by witnesses show federal agents subduing a man to the ground to handcuff him, while parents, teachers and children watched the scene. In another recording you can see the arrest of a woman shortly after.

Children cried during the operation

According to Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson, the arrested adults were traveling with children in the back seat of their vehicle.

The legislator assured that the minors began to cry when their parents were removed from the car by federal agents.

“Heroic educators took the children inside the school to try to protect them from the situation,” Ferguson said in a video posted on social media.

School authorities indicated that the ceremony continued once the operation was concluded and indicated that they are collaborating with local, state and federal agencies to clarify what happened.

Mayor and governor condemn the arrests

The incident generated an immediate response from Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, who described the events as worrying.

“This type of policing is not welcome in Baltimore,” the mayor said in a statement.

Scott added that ICE's presence has increased fear and anxiety among the city's immigrant communities.

For his part, Maryland Governor Wes Moore said that schools must be safe spaces for students and families.

“Schools are places where children should feel safe, not where federal agents carry out immigration enforcement actions in front of them,” he declared.

Debate on operations in sensitive places

The controversy comes weeks after Baltimore passed emergency legislation that seeks to restrict federal agents from operating in places considered sensitive, including public schools.

So far, ICE has not publicly reported the identity of the detainees or whether they faced criminal records. It has also not been clarified whether the minors present were students of the institution.

The case revived the debate about the limits of immigration operations in spaces frequented by children and families, amid the tightening of immigration policies promoted by President Donald Trump's administration.