Fourth and fifth-graders waiting for their school bus ran for their lives Thursday morning, scattering through the parking lot of their own apartment complex as federal agents rolled in.
Doorbell camera footage captured the children shouting and sprinting past parked cars at the Woodland Village Apartments on Gibbsboro Road. The cause of the panic: an operation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement unfolding in their midst.
The Lindenwold School District confirmed that students at the bus stop witnessed the federal enforcement action just before 8 a.m. “The presence of multiple enforcement vehicles caused significant fear and confusion, and several students ran from the bus stop,” district officials wrote in a message to families.
One boy told reporters he cried and felt like throwing up. A girl said she was afraid her parents would be taken away.
The school bus driver circled back repeatedly, gathering frightened children and getting them to school. But the damage was done. Students arrived at Lindenwold School No. 5 shaken and emotional. Bilingual counselors were deployed immediately.
District leaders spent the morning on the phone with county and state representatives, demanding protocols to keep children safe during future operations.
Counseling services will remain available Friday. A protest outside Lindenwold Borough Hall was already planned.
Camden County Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli Jr. did not mince words.
“The absolute chaos sowed by this ICE operation in Lindenwold this morning was appalling,” said Cappelli. “The impact and fear that struck the children of our county was painful to watch and I can’t imagine the anxiety and trauma that came from this incident.”
Cappelli noted that ICE itself called 911 at some point during the operation, requesting local police assistance. But facts remain scarce about the agency’s intentions.
Commissioner Jonathan Young, a former Lindenwold resident, said he was “disgusted to watch the videos of children running in absolute terror along a busy county thoroughfare.” He added: “No one wants criminals in their community. That said, under Trump, ICE has been inhumane in how it conducts its operations. We’ve seen that firsthand throughout other cities in the country and now it’s happening here.”
The school district sought to calm families. “Our students deserve to feel safe while waiting for their school bus and while attending school each day,” officials wrote. “Please know that we are here to support your children and your family.”
ICE spokespersons did not respond to requests for comment.
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