Rantz Exclusive: Seattle Times claimed ICE spotted at Seattle school; it was actually SPD

The Seattle Times reported that an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) vehicle was seen at Denny International Middle School in West Seattle. But according to an ICE official, this didn’t happen. It appears to have been a Seattle Police Department (SPD) vehicle.

An ICE Seattle official confirmed to “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH that it was not their vehicle outside the school. An SPD spokesperson, however, explained, “It is believed to be a SWAT vehicle.” The vehicle was unmarked.

“I’ve just spoken with one of our SWAT officers and one of our SWAT Sergeants. He informed me that they have been ordered to be a high visibility tactical presence at the schools—that is our SWAT operators being a visual and physical presence at the schools in order to support the community and deter crime,” SPD Detective Eric Munoz explained to “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH.

The order appears to have come from the Mayor’s Office and, according to one law enforcement source, schools have been made aware of the additional police presence.

How did this unverified rumor begin?

Denny International Middle School principal Mary Ingraham sent a note to families that an ICE vehicle was spotted during lunch on Wednesday afternoon.

Without confirmation, The Seattle Times reported that “The ICE vehicle was seen in the Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex parking lot,” which is also across the street from Chief Sealth International High School.

“Please know at no point were our students or staff at any risk,” Ingraham wrote in the email, first reported by the West Seattle Blog. “We acted proactively to ensure safety. It is confirmed that the vehicle has left the area.”

SWAT is doing safety checks to keep kids safe

According to the SPD, SWAT “have been at numerous schools, including schools in West Seattle.”

“It is more than likely that one of the vehicles that was seen was our tactical swat vehicles providing support and assistance and safety to our public, specifically to our school children,” Munoz explained.

It appears the SWAT vehicle was likely making a presence for Chief Sealth High School, which has seen a number of high profile incidents, including a shooting that left one student dead.

ICE doesn’t just patrol

According to an ICE official speaking to “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH, The Seattle Times reporter did not reach out to the ICE Seattle office for comment. Instead, he sent an early morning email to the national ICE offices, which would delay a response for several hours, the official explained.

ICE agents do not “patrol” neighborhoods, loiter in unmarked vehicles, or target schools. Instead, ICE engages in targeted enforcement, and agents show credentials while identifying themselves.

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