Federal authorities are pushing back against viral social media claims that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents raided a Chicago daycare center. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) clarified Wednesday that ICE officers were pursuing an illegal immigrant who fled into the building after a failed traffic stop — not targeting the daycare or its staff.
Officials confirmed that Colombian national Diana Patricia Santillana Galeano, who was released at the southern border under the Biden administration’s lenient immigration policies in 2023, was taken into custody after she ran into the Spanish Immersion Early Learning Center, Rayito de Sol, in Chicago.
According to DHS, Santillana Galeano recklessly endangered children when she and another suspect fled their vehicle and attempted to hide inside the daycare. Officers made the arrest in the building’s vestibule — not in the classroom — after finding the daycare’s inner doors locked, preventing further entry.
A video circulating online shows officers restraining Santillana Galeano outside the daycare as she screamed and resisted arrest. Some daycare employees are seen trying to reach her as officers secured her into a law enforcement vehicle.
Officials say Santillana Galeano’s presence in the U.S. is the direct result of the Biden administration’s “catch and release” approach, which has allowed hundreds of thousands of migrants to enter the country while awaiting immigration proceedings.
DHS stated that although she possessed temporary work authorization — granted by the Biden administration — that does not mean she was legally permitted to remain in the U.S. “Work authorization does not confer legal status,” DHS said. “The Biden administration has abused this loophole to normalize illegal entry.”
Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) attempted to spin the story online, claiming ICE “took a preschool teacher without a warrant in front of children.” DHS swiftly condemned his remarks as “deliberately misrepresenting the facts.” Officials reiterated that the agency’s actions were legal, targeted, and executed outside the presence of students.
DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin detailed that the incident began when ICE officers attempted a traffic stop on a vehicle registered to Santillana Galeano. The male driver refused to comply, sped into a shopping plaza, and both occupants fled on foot — running into the daycare building.
Authorities also revealed concerning background information: Santillana Galeano allegedly instructed her own children, aged 16 and 17, to cross the border illegally as unaccompanied minors just weeks ago. DHS sources said she may have hired smugglers to facilitate their crossing. Her children were later detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection near El Paso and transferred to a Chicago youth shelter.
Officials have not released further details about the unidentified male suspect who fled with her.
DHS highlighted that over 70% of ICE arrests involve illegal aliens with pending criminal charges or prior convictions. “President Trump and Secretary Noem are restoring the rule of law in the U.S.,” a DHS statement read, emphasizing renewed efforts to remove criminal illegal aliens and protect American communities.
