Videos showed Immigration and Customs agents arresting two parents at a preschool graduation ceremony, as teachers quickly rushed the children into the classrooms away from the chaos

Two parents were arrested by ICE agents during a preschool graduation ceremony in Maryland, as multiple children cried through the arrest and other parents filmed.

The arrests happened Thursday in the parking lot of Commodore John Rodgers Elementary School in Baltimore. Witnesses said children could be heard “screaming” as the parents were taken into custody.

A video recorded by a witness shows two agents pinning a man to the pavement as they tried to pull his arms behind his back to handcuff him. As she filmed, the woman recording shouted, “This is school property! It’s against the law!” Another witness video from a different angle shows agents taking a woman into custody after the man was arrested, as parents and young children rushed past.

School officials told Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson that the people who were arrested drove into the parking lot while being pursued by ICE agents. In a video Ferguson posted to X, he said the arrested individuals had their children in the backseat, who screamed as their parents were “ripped from the car.”

Ferguson said “heroic educators” brought the children inside as the arrests unfolded “to try to protect them from these unbelievable and out-of-control federal agents.” He added that the agents quickly left after taking the parents into custody.

Last month, the City of Baltimore signed an emergency bill prohibiting federal agents from operating and conducting arrests in “sensitive locations like public schools.”

School officials said the graduation ceremony and the rest of the day’s scheduled events continued, and that they are working with local, state and federal agencies to learn more about what happened.

It is still unclear whether the children of those arrested are enrolled at Commodore John Rodgers Elementary/Middle School. The identities of the people arrested — and whether they have any criminal history — have not been released.

Mayor Brandon Scott and Governor Wes Moore condemned the arrests.

Scott called it a “disturbing incident” and said, “Let me reiterate, this type of enforcement is not welcome in Baltimore.” He added, “The presence of ICE has not made our city any safer, and in fact has led to greater fear and anxiety, especially for our immigrant neighbors. I stand with our immigrant families who have been impacted by detentions.”

The mayor also said his office has contacted “federal authorities to express our anger at this arrest occurring on school grounds.”

Moore also called the arrests “disturbing,” saying, “Schools are places where children should feel safe, where parents should be able to drop off their kids without fear, and where educators should be able to focus on teaching, not where federal agents carry out immigration enforcement actions in front of children.”

He continued, “Let me be clear, Maryland will work with federal law enforcement when it makes our communities safer. But actions that terrorize children, separate families in front of a school, and undermine trust in public institutions do not make us safer.”

Moore said his administration “is in direct communication with ICE leadership” to understand why the arrests happened on school grounds and “to ensure this does not happen again.”