House Democrats are demanding a briefing from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem after agents with the department's investigative team tried to enter two Los Angeles-area elementary schools last week but were turned away, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday.
In a letter dated Friday, Rep. Robert Garcia of California and 17 other Democrats noted their "extreme concern" and demanded justification as to why members of the Homeland Security Investigations team tried to enter Russell Elementary and Lillian Street Elementary in Los Angeles under the guise of conducting welfare checks on children.
In the interim, the lawmakers demanded that DHS "desist from immigration enforcement activity targeting children who pose no threat to public safety."
Agents showed up at the two schools last Monday asking to speak with five students in total, ranging from first graders to sixth graders, the Times reported.
The superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, Alberto Carvalho, said the agents falsely claimed to have permission from the parents to speak with the children, adding the agents were not in uniform and were reluctant to show identification, according to the report.
The lawmakers wrote that agents were "rightly turned away" by school staff.
"If your agents attempted to conceal their identities, attempted to enter school facilities on false pretenses, or attempted to lie to LAUSD staff, you undermine public safety. If you falsely claim to be conducting welfare checks while actually targeting children for deportation, you undermine willingness to cooperate with law enforcement, provoke fear, and undermine public trust," the Democrats wrote to Noem.
A DHS spokesperson confirmed that the agents were doing wellness checks.
"DHS is leading efforts to conduct welfare checks on these children to ensure that they are safe and not being exploited, abused, and sex trafficked," Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of homeland security, told the Times.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.