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ICE releases information on arrest made near east Charlotte school drop-off line

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CHARLOTTE — Immigration and Customs Enforcement released information on Wednesday after an arrest was made near a drop-off line at an east Charlotte-Mecklenburg school.

The incident on Monday that was caught on video sparked outrage in the community.

The principal at Charlotte East Language Academy addressed families Tuesday, saying, in part: “We want to inform you that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity occurred near our school’s drop-off line earlier today. We understand that this may cause concern within our community.”

The Parent Teacher Association at CELA wrote a statement on Instagram later Monday saying, “students deserve safety, dignity, and peace of mind-regardless of immigration status.”

“We urge our school board to take a clear, public stance regarding ICE enforcement,” the Charlotte East PTA wrote in its statement. “School boards hold the power and the responsibility to create and uphold policies that protect our children and ensure schools remain safe, supportive spaces for every student.”

A source told Channel 9’s Jonathan Lowe on Tuesday that ICE arrested a person near the corner of Albemarle Road and Jenkins Drive.

When asked about the arrest near the school, ICE told Channel 9 they arrested Adrian Ojeda-Calvillo, who was a criminal from Mexico and in the U.S. illegally. He has a criminal history, which includes convictions for domestic violence, assault on a female, robbery, kidnapping, and breaking and entering.

An ICE spokesperson sent Channel 9 a statement on Wednesday and said the activity had nothing to do with the school nor was it at the school.

The details from ICE appear to be different from the video from a CMS parent showing what appears to be the arrest. ICE said the arrest happened on a sidewalk but video shows agents in the middle of the road.

Parents said they feel like ICE targets the academy, which has a large immigrant community.

“It was just insane to me they’re around here right now,” said parent Damian Pacheco. “There are people just trying to get their kids to school. What are you trying to do? What are you trying to push around here?”

Channel 9 contacted Liz Monterrey Duvall, the first Latina elected to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Board.

She said, in part, in a written statement:

“As a school board, we‘ve explored every policy option available to us, but time and again we‘ve hit a legal wall. We do not have the authority to override state of federal law, no matter how deeply we oppose it.”

ICE said its agents caught up with Ojeda-Calvillo on a public sidewalk near his home and taken into custody without incident.

ICE said it “urges the public to avoid spreading rumors or misinformation that causes unnecessary panic in the immigrant community. Fear-based narratives only disrupt communities and hinder our efforts to maintain safety.”

The ICE statement went on to say the agency “is focused on public safety and national security threats first and foremost; however, any individual illegally present in the United States who is encountered by an immigration enforcement officer or agent may be taken into custody and processed for removal as stated by law.”


(VIDEO: ICE identifies four men arrested outside Mecklenburg County courthouse)

Andrew McMillan, wsoctv.com

Andrew McMillan is the Digital Content Manager for WSOC-TV.

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