Students and teachers at Funston Elementary School in northwest Chicago were caught in panic earlier this month after tear gas released by federal agents seeped into their classrooms. The incident occurred on October 3, when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents reportedly conducted a raid at a nearby grocery store, according to Mirror report.
As tear gas canisters landed in the parking lot next to the school, chemical fumes spread inside, disrupting dismissal and leaving children coughing and crying. Teachers rushed to comfort terrified students as the fog filled hallways and classrooms.
ICE Raid Near School Raises Outrage
Maria Heavener, a first-grade teacher, said she had heard rumors that ICE planned to detain unaccompanied minors, but she never imagined the use of chemical agents near a school.
Stacy Davis Gates, president of the Chicago Teachers Union, called the situation “violent” and “traumatic.”
“The smoke bombs that they dropped in front of school right at dismissal, the detainment of grown-ups after they drop off their children, or as they’re picking them up. All of that is violent. All of that is traumatic,” said Davis Gates. “And for the first time, that is what many students in this city are experiencing.”
Federal Crackdown Draws Criticism
The incident unfolded as the Trump administration pushes for a stronger federal presence in Democratic-led Chicago, often portrayed by the former president as a center of urban violence.
Instead of investing in public schools or addressing poverty, critics say the White House has focused on law enforcement and military-style tactics. The administration has also sought approval to deploy National Guard troops in the city—a move many see as a political stunt.
Trump and Hegseth Suggest Using Cities as Military “Training Grounds”
Last month, Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth suggested using American cities as “training grounds” for the military, referring to urban crime as an “enemy from within.”
“I told Pete [Hegseth], we should use some of these dangerous cities as training grounds for our military,” Trump said. “It’s the enemy from within, and we have to handle it before it gets out of control.”
However, federal data tells a different story. A WBEZ analysis found that Chicago recorded its fewest summer homicides in 60 years, with violent crime reaching its lowest level in four decades.
Community Trauma and Fear
Despite declining crime rates, masked ICE and DHS officers have carried out raids across Black and immigrant neighborhoods in Chicago. Witnesses say children were zip-tied, and families were dragged away during these operations.
Heavener recalled how her students struggled to process the event: “A lot of them were sad, worried, scared, nervous,” she said. “Some of them said they’re scared because they don’t want their own family members to be taken away.” One child reportedly had a panic attack.
“It’s very scary because this is their normal,” Heavener said. “You start forming your memories more solidly around 4 or 5 years old… this is going to shape a lot for them, and it’s traumatic.”
“It makes me want to cry,” she added. “Generally, the societal norm is that children are sacred, and we take care of our children. Now it seems like they’re being targeted.”
Educators Condemn Federal Spending Priorities
Teachers also criticized the federal government’s spending decisions. The Trump administration’s July spending bill boosted ICE’s budget to $29.9 billion — nearly three times the $10.25 billion operating budget for Chicago Public Schools.
“Our school budget was slashed by two-thirds here,” said Kathryn, another teacher who requested anonymity. “ICE is offering $50,000 signing bonuses for people who are willing to kidnap other people. Meanwhile, I have to tell my students, ‘Sorry, you can’t join the band right now because I don’t have enough instruments.’”
According to the National Priorities Project, the proposed National Guard deployment to Chicago could cost taxpayers up to $1.59 million per day, a figure many educators say highlights the government’s misplaced priorities.
