ICE activity prompts shelter-in-place order for Clarkston schools

Clarkston Group Colleges college students sheltered in district buildings for simply over an hour because of federal immigration enforcement actions on Wednesday, Nov. 19, a district spokesperson confirmed.

Households in Oakland County obtained a textual content message round 10 a.m. that every one buildings had been underneath a shelter-in-place order. Greater than an hour later, households had been notified by way of textual content message that “colleges have resumed courses.” An electronic mail to households from Superintendent Shawn Ryan mentioned the Oakland County Sheriff’s Workplace had cleared the district to renew regular operations. Ryan wrote that the shelter-in-place order was taken as a precaution.

Extra: Immigration agent makes use of stun gun on girl, man escapes in Oak Park encounter

“This morning I obtained a name from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Workplace,” Ryan wrote. “The lieutenant suggested me that they’d been known as to help federal brokers within the seek for two people within the space of ​​Sashabaw and Clarkston Roads and suggested us to safe our premises.”

Throughout the nation and in southeastern Michigan, federal immigration officers’ stepped-up efforts to detain folks underneath the Trump administration have raised considerations. Earlier this week, a U.S. Border Safety agent in Oak Park used a stun gun on a girl accused of being in the US illegally. Officers mentioned the lady and a person assaulted the officer throughout the encounter.

Extra: A metropolis in metro Detroit is rescinding its settlement with ICE after outrage from activists

District spokeswoman Kelly Allen instructed the Detroit Free Press that shelter-in-place orders are completely different than a lockdown order: College students and workers can nonetheless transfer round college buildings and proceed courses whereas sheltering in place, they only cannot go in or out of district buildings. Allen mentioned college workers are educated in these and different probably traumatic conditions to observe for indicators and intervene if college students change into upset.

“We’ve got a variety of intensive coaching in that space,” she mentioned.

Contact Lily Altavena: laltavena@freepress.com.