ICE ordered to suspend immigration enforcement on families affected by Uvalde shooting

School shooter was ultimately killed by Border Patrol agents after police officers initially hesitated to enter the building

The US’ controversial Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency will not be undertaking enforcement activities at the site of this week’s school shooting in Texas, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

The shooting, which saw a lone gunman murder 19 students and two adults at the Robb Elementary school, took place in the town of Uvalde, which is about an hour’s drive from the US-Mexico border.

Many of the families whose children were killed and injured are Hispanic, and there were early claims that ICE and Border Patrol agents were present at the scene of the shooting, potentially deterring non-citizen families from coming to find out if their children had survived the massacre.

But in a statement issued on Wednesday, the Department of Homeland Security explained that “sites that provide emergency response and relief are considered protected areas. To the fullest extent possible, ICE and CBP do not conduct immigration enforcement activities in protected areas such as along evacuation routes, sites used for sheltering or the distribution of emergency supplies, food or water, or registration sites for disaster-related assistance or the reunification of families and loved ones.

Follow the latest updates on the Uvalde mass shooting

“ICE and CBP provide emergency assistance to individuals regardless of their immigration status. DHS officials do not and will not pose as individuals providing emergency-related information as part of any enforcement activities.

“The site of the tragedy in Uvalde, Texas is a protected area. To the fullest extent possible, ICE and CBP will not conduct immigration enforcement activities there so that individuals, regardless of immigration status, can seek assistance, reunify with family and loved ones, and otherwise address the tragedy that occurred.”

The gunman who carried out the shooting, Salvador Ramos, was a citizen of the US, though early rumours to the contrary circulated on the right; extremist Congressman Paul Gosar described him as “a transsexual leftist illegal alien”, then deleted the tweet when it turned out to be wrong.

Ramos barricaded himself in a classroom where he began shooting the teachers and pupils locked inside. He was ultimately killed by Border Patrol agents who struggled to get into the room.