Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Homeland Security Says Immigration Agents Weren't At Queens School For 'Enforcement Action'
By
Jen Chung
Published May 16, 2017
Modified May 16, 2017
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
NYC Mayor's Office
By
Jen Chung
Published May 16, 2017
Modified May 16, 2017
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
A federal immigration agent's presence at a Queens school was discussed yesterday by Mayor Bill de Blasio and Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly. De Blasio was visiting Washington D.C. on Monday, and met with Kelly for almost an hour. His office released this description of their conversation: "The Secretary said that the agents were not there for enforcement action and that DHS does not target schools in such efforts. The Mayor made clear that the agents’ presence was nevertheless non-conducive to the learning environment and inconsistent with fair and effective immigration and education policy."
Two federal immigration agents from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services apparently visited P.S. 58 in Queens on Thursday, but were turned away by a school safety agent and an administrator. The Department of Education's policy is that "non-local law enforcement officers, including ICE officers, may only obtain access to school facilities or students in school under one of the following circumstances: with consent; with proper warrants; or under exigent circumstances."
The federal agents did not have a warrant.
A USCIS spokeswoman Katie Tichacek said, "I must emphasize that the purpose of the visit was to verify certain facts about the student's enrollment in relation to a request for an immigration benefit. At no time did the officers ask to see or speak with the student, who was not the subject of the administrative inquiry." She also said, "Although school visits are not routine in these circumstances, they are not unprecedented."
The readout of the mayor's meeting with Kelly also says "they pledged to work together to ensure that the DHS investigative work in question was performed remotely and without the presence of federal immigration agents in New York City schools" and stressed the "importance of the relationship between police officers and the city’s immigrant community in securing record-low crime rates." Finally, "in addition to discussing their shared allegiance to the Boston Red Sox, the Mayor and Secretary agreed to meet again in New York City in the coming months."
Tagged
federal immigration agent
homeland security
mayor de blasio
ps 58
queens
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Central Park birders, others remember 63-year-old woman killed in park
People who said they knew her described her as an artist and a familiar presence in the Ramble.
By
Charles Lane
Published Sep 28, 2026 at 7:04 p.m. ET
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
News
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
New ingredient mandated for Latin American kitchen, restaurant plates in NJ
By
Arya Sundaram
A Brooklyn jail cell filled with smoke. The emergency button failed, a lawyer said.
By
Samantha Max
Crews launch tunnel machines to dig first new Hudson River rail tunnels since 1910
By
Michael Sol Warren
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .