A suburban Chicago student is in custody after being arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers at Elgin Community College Thursday morning, the college said, two days after a U.S. citizen from the suburb was briefly detained in what the government is calling an immigration enforcement blitz in the Chicago area.

The student was taken into custody in the parking lot of Building K, a statement to the school community said. The building houses the college’s Adult Basic Education Center, which offers English as a second language classes, GED preparation, citizenship classes and workforce development resources.

“We know that news of ICE activity can cause stress and fear. Elgin Community College remains deeply committed to supporting all students and their families, regardless of immigration status,” the college’s statement said.

The college does not engage in immigration enforcement, does not voluntarily share information about students’ immigration status, and ECC police do not engage in immigration-related enforcement either, it stated. It also has a liaison team that provides confidential support to undocumented students.

“ECC strives to be a safe, welcoming place for every student to learn, grow, and thrive,” the college’s statement said.

The arrest comes as schools across the city and suburbs prepare for potential immigration enforcement activity, whether it be at elementary or higher education institutions. On Thursday, the Illinois Education Association — a union representing 135,000 pre-K-12 teachers in the state outside of Chicago — called on school districts to put safety protocols in place and ensure federal immigration agents don’t enter school property without warrants.

“ICE raids instill fear, disrupt families and destabilize the learning environment for thousands of children,” said Al Llorens, IEA’s president. “No student should ever come to school afraid that their parent may not be there when they get home. No child should have to carry the weight of wondering whether their school, place of safety, learning and support, might become the site of a traumatic immigration enforcement action. When schools are surrounded by fear, students cannot learn, teachers cannot teach and communities cannot thrive.”

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in a Sept. 9 news release that immigration agents were not going into schools.

“ICE is not conducting enforcement operations at, or ‘raiding,’ schools. ICE is not going to schools to make arrests of children,” the statement said.

ICE did not immediately respond to an email for comment about arrests on college campuses.

Meanwhile, some schools have already seen enforcement in their communities, including West Chicago Elementary School District 33, which implemented a precautionary protocol on Monday — when state lawmakers said at least 15 people were arrested during a morning immigration raid in the suburb — and Tuesday.

The measures are an effort to make students and families feel safe while keeping “classrooms calm and learning uninterrupted,” the district’s superintendent, Kristina Davis, wrote in a statement to the Tribune. While not a lockdown, the protocol includes locking all exterior doors and having staff members and administrators maintain heightened awareness, she said.

“We know that some students may be hearing things in the news or seeing things in their neighborhoods, and it was important that parents felt safe sending their children to school,” Davis said. “Our staff has truly stepped up — walking with students, riding buses, and making sure every child arrives to and from school safely. We are grateful to our families and community for their partnership as we continue to keep students safe and supported.”

District 33 is not aware of any students who have been impacted by a parent or guardian being detained, added Nicole Eimer, the district’s director of marketing, communications and public relations. Community partners and organizations alongside staff members and individual district family liaisons are already providing support to families and can connect them with resources immediately should the situation arise, she said.

Still, the district is hearing concerns from families.

“The disruptions across West Chicago earlier this week were very visible to the public — both through in-person sightings and through footage shared online and in the news,” Eimer said. “This has been upsetting for our community, and understandably so. Families want reassurance that their children are safe in school, and we are doing everything possible to provide that stability and support.”

Waukegan parents and community members have been sounding the alert across social media about the increased presence of federal immigration agents and, seemingly, near schools. On Monday, according to local pastor Julie Contreras, rumors circulated about a possible sighting right by North Elementary at 410 Franklin St.

That same day, Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 reached out to parents to let them know there had been no reported issues at any of their buildings.

“First and foremost, our schools remain safe and welcoming places for all students,” the statement said. “The District is not involved in any federal law enforcement operations, and our focus continues to be on teaching and supporting the children of Waukegan.”

It emphasized that the district does not collect information about students’ immigration status, and that federal agents are not permitted access without valid warrants.

Some of the school scares have been worsened by social media hysteria, Contreras said. Indeed, calls for virtual learning options for students in the suburban school district circulated online, though Superintendent Theresa Plascencia told the Tribune her office has not received a formal request from parents.

Since January, the district has shared resources with parents and offered informational “Know Your Rights” sessions, efforts that have been ramped up in recent weeks, “so families know schools are a safe place for every child,” she said.

As of Wednesday, Plascencia added, attendance rates have remained steady.

“Parents are between a rock and a hard place,” Contreras said. “But I’m not yet telling students not to go to schools.” She also worries virtual learning could mean only students who themselves, or whose families, have a specific immigration status are singled out.

A 45-year-old single mother from Waukegan, who has been in the United States for 20 years after immigrating from Guanajuato, Mexico, told the Tribune in Spanish that her youngest child — an 8-year-old public school student — has been on high alert over the last few weeks. The Tribune is not naming her because she is undocumented and fears arrest.

“Mami, ahí se ve un carro extraño,” the boy points out while they’re driving. “Mom, there’s a strange car over there.”

The mother of three tries to shield her youngest and her 16-year-old, who goes to a private college prep, from the barrage of news of migrant arrests around Chicagoland, but it’s no use. The kid’s classmates, also on edge, talk about it at school.

“We turn on the television, and it’s everywhere,” she said. “And I know what it’s like for ICE to come into your home.”

Nine years ago, her husband, with whom she had immigrated, was detained by federal immigration agents and deported back to Mexico. They got divorced shortly after.

Despite her worries, she doesn’t yet think virtual classes are a realistic option.

“Si voy con mucho miedo. Pero no puedo negar la educación a mis hijos,” she said. “I’m going around with a lot of fear. But I can’t deny my children their education.”

Schools provide the safest and most supportive setting for students, Chicago Public Schools said in a statement.

CPS also has steps in place if a child is left behind at school, which include reaching out to their emergency contacts and checking for a petition for appointment of short-term guardianship in the student’s file, which grants a trusted adult the authority to make decisions for the student. Schools also establish a family safety plan with parents for educators to follow during any emergencies, the district said in a statement to the Tribune.

“Despite potential federal law enforcement actions, CPS leadership, staff, and students remain focused on teaching and learning,” it said.

West Aurora School District 129 encourages families to update their emergency contact information during registration, said the district’s executive director of student and family services Marti Neahring. ICE agents were reported in Aurora earlier this week.

“School District 129 has always worked, and will continue to work, closely with the local authorities who serve our community to prioritize the safety and well-being of our students,” Neahring said.

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