Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted an operation near Turman Elementary School on Friday morning, September 25.

Officials from the school in southeastern Colorado Springs told KRDO that students reported that they were “aggressively approached” by armed masked immigration officials while walking to school.

“Students should be able to travel to school without being exposed to situations that may cause fear, confusion, or disruption,” said Harrison School District 2 in a prepared statement. 

In the statement, the district said law enforcement should communicate with the school when carrying out nearby operations for the safety of students. 

ICE Denver released its own statement that said agents  were in the area looking for a “criminal alien” who fled on foot after a vehicle stop. They said that the person who fled is still at large, but that ICE does not believe there is any risk to the public. 

“At no time did our officers enter school property nor conduct an enforcement action at the school,” the Denver ICE statement said.  

ICE refuted the school’s characterization of the officers and said instead officers were approached by the children. The agency also alleged the school’s response created a climate of fear and smearing of law enforcement. 

An official with the Colorado Springs Police Department said they were not notified about the ICE operation. CSPD said local law enforcement doesn’t participate in civil ICE operations, but if a crime had taken place they would be involved as part of normal policing. 

In a separate incident days later, a car chase allegedly involving immigration agents led to a crash in southeastern Colorado Springs, the Gazette reports.