Students Flee Bus Stop As ICE Agents Pull Up To Camden Co. Apartment Complex

LINDENWOLD, NJ — Dozens of elementary school students ran from their bus stop Thursday morning as agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) came to a nearby apartment building, according to Lindenwold School District officials.

Fourth- and fifth-grade students were waiting for their school bus when an ICE operation unfolded at the Woodland Village Apartments, district officials said in a statement on social media.

"The presence of multiple enforcement vehicles caused significant fear and confusion, and several students ran from the bus stop," the district said.

Ring camera footage shared by nj.com shows students running through the complex parking lot just before 8 a.m. Thursday:

The bus driver acted "quickly and responsibly," circling back multiple times to ensure as many children as possible were transported to school, the Lindenwold School District said.

All students at school Thursday were safe, and ICE agents didn't go to school property, district officials said.

Spokespersons for ICE have not responded to Patch's questions about the operation as of this writing.

U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross (D, NJ-1) and members of the Camden County Board of Commissioners were among the officeholders blasting ICE's actions.

"Their tactics and lack of transparency have instilled fear in the community and have put children in harm's way," Norcross said in a statement. "Schoolchildren are not criminals, and enforcement actions must reflect that. It is extremely concerning that 911 was called."

County Commissioner Jonathan Young said he is "disgusted to watch the videos of children running in absolute terror along a busy county thoroughfare."

"This callous operation, in front of 44 young children, sent them scattering in different directions underscores the type of terror our residents are living under every day," Young said on behalf of the Board of Commissioners. "No one wants criminals in their community, that said, under Trump, ICE has been inhumane in how it conducts its operations."

Many children arriving to school were "understandably upset and emotional," the district said. Bilingual and English-speaking counselors were deployed to School 5, an elementary school in Lindenwold.

The district coordinated with parents for school dismissal, telling them to immediately contact their child's teacher and school main office if they wanted to pick up their child instead of having them ride the bus home.

The district monitored bus loading that afternoon.

District officials say they reached out to county and state officials to alert them about the incident and to advocate for children's safety in future operations.

"Our students deserve to feel safe while waiting for their school bus and while attending school each day," the district said. "Please know that we are here to support your children and your family."

ICE's spokespersons didn't immediately return comment to Patch.