As the new school year begins in Washington, D.C., Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) acting director Todd Lyons announced that agents will not be present at schools on the first day of classes. This statement comes as D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) prepare to welcome students back on Monday, August 25. Lyons emphasized in an interview that while ICE will not be on school grounds initially, there may be future circumstances that require their presence.

"Day one, you’re not going to see us," Lyons told NBC News. However, he noted that ICE might need to conduct welfare checks on students identified as unaccompanied minors who crossed the southern border. "We want to use our special agents and our officers to go ahead and locate these individuals. And if [there are] some we haven’t, and the last known address was at a school, we just want to make sure that child is safe," he explained.

Lyons also mentioned that ICE could respond to exigent circumstances, such as violent incidents occurring on school campuses. This announcement comes amid heightened concerns from parents and educators regarding ICE activities near schools. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser acknowledged these fears, stating, "I think people who have that concern for themselves personally and for all of us who are concerned for them and their safety are making adjustments."

Recent reports have highlighted incidents where ICE has detained individuals near schools, including a case in Los Angeles where a 15-year-old boy was handcuffed outside Arleta High School. A study from Stanford University indicated that ICE operations have led to a 22% increase in student absences, particularly affecting younger students in immigrant communities.

In response to these concerns, Lyons addressed the agency's focus on targeting individuals with criminal histories rather than indiscriminately detaining people. He stated, "When ICE is going after an individual, it’s a targeted operation." He also acknowledged that some U.S. citizens have been mistakenly arrested, attributing this to training issues that the agency is currently addressing.

ICE is under pressure to expand its workforce significantly, aiming to increase the number of deportation officers from 6,500 to 16,500 by the end of the year. The agency has received substantial funding from Congress to enhance its operations, including a $40 million recruitment campaign. Lyons reported that ICE has received over 121,000 applications and is optimistic about hiring 10,000 new agents by year-end.

To expedite the training process, ICE is shortening its training program from 13 weeks to eight weeks, while still maintaining a commitment to the quality of education for recruits. "We’re not going to sacrifice the level of commitment we have to the recruits or the level of education training that they get," Lyons assured.