Chicago daycare teacher arrested by ICE released from custody, attorney says

Chicago daycare teacher arrested by ICE released from custody

A Chicago daycare teacher arrested by ICE last week has been released from custody.

CHICAGO - A Chicago daycare teacher detained by federal immigration agents last week has been released from custody in Indiana, her attorneys announced Thursday.

What we know:

Diana Santillana Galeano, a teacher at Rayito de Sol Spanish Immersion Early Learning Center, was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on Nov. 5.

The arrest, which happened in front of children, drew sharp condemnation from Mayor Brandon Johnson and members of Congress.

Feds arrest Chicago daycare worker after pursuit, officials say

A video circulating on social media shows federal immigration agents detaining a teacher outside a Chicago daycare on Wednesday morning who federal officials said was an undocumented immigrant.

Santillana Galeano was released Wednesday from ICE detention in Clay County, Indiana, and has since returned home to Chicago, according to her attorneys at Hughes Socol Piers Resnick & Dym, Ltd.

"We are thrilled that Ms. Santillana was released, and has been able to return home to Chicago where she belongs," attorney Charlie Wysong said in a statement. "We will continue to pursue her immigration claims to stay in the United States. We are grateful to her community for the outpouring of support over these difficult days, and ask that her privacy be respected while she rests and recovers from this ordeal."

Santillana Galeano also thanked supporters, saying she is eager to reunite with her students.

Diana Santillana Galeano | Provided

"I am so grateful to everyone who has advocated on my behalf, and on behalf of the countless others who have experienced similar trauma over recent months in the Chicago area," she said. "I love our community and the children I teach, and I can’t wait to see them again."

A reunion with the daycare community is planned for Friday at 10 a.m. at Clark Park, 3400 N. Rockwell St.

The backstory:

The arrest, captured on video, showed agents detaining Santillana Galeano outside the daycare in the North Center neighborhood.

'Shocked the conscience': Chicago mayor reacts to ICE agents detaining teacher in front of children

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson on Thursday talked about an incident the day before in which federal immigration agents forcibly removed a teacher from a North Side daycare in front of children.

"ICE agents entered a daycare. They went inside of a preschool. They tore a teacher out of a classroom in front of their children," Mayor Johnson said at a news conference a day after the incident. "That video shocked the conscience of every single Chicagoan… We most certainly cannot have this in our city or our country."

U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Chicago) echoed the outrage, saying the arrest "should send shivers down the spine of every parent."

The other side:

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said the daycare was not targeted.

DHS officials claimed the arrest followed a failed traffic stop and that Santillana Galeano and another person fled into the building, "recklessly endangering the children."

Santillana Galeano, who is from Colombia, entered the United States illegally in June 2023 and obtained authorization to work under the Biden administration, DHS said. Her 16- and 17-year-old children crossed the border illegally last month near El Paso, Texas, and were brought to a government shelter in Chicago for unaccompanied migrant children.