Following widespread backlash over the arrest of a Chicago day care teacher this week, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a statement on Thursday alleging that the teacher had illegally crossed the southern border in 2023 and, last month, paid a smuggler to bring her teenage children into the U.S. as well.
In the statement, DHS said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents targeted Diana Patricia Santillana Galeano, of Colombia, during a traffic stop early Wednesday while she and an unidentified male passenger were driving. According to DHS, Santillana illegally entered the U.S. on June 26, 2023, where she was initially encountered by Border Patrol. The statement added that the Biden administration released her into the country.
Questions remain, however, about whether Santillana had been targeted prior to the traffic stop. School officials confirmed that Santillana had authorization to work at the day care and had undergone a background check. DHS did not respond to further questions beyond its statement, which also mentioned that Santillana and the male driver were in a vehicle registered to a “female illegal alien.”
The arrest, which was widely circulated on social media, showed agents pulling a screaming Santillana from the vestibule of Rayito de Sol, an early learning center and Spanish immersion school in Chicago’s North Center neighborhood. In the video, Santillana is heard saying “I have papers” in Spanish as agents pinned her against their vehicle.
News outlets around the world covered the confrontation, marking an unprecedented step by agents under President Donald Trump’s Operation Midway Blitz — an immigration crackdown in Chicago that included entering a school to detain an individual.
DHS emphasized in its statement that “work authorization does NOT confer any type of legal status to be in the U.S.” The department criticized the Biden administration, claiming it “exploited this loophole to help facilitate the invasion of our country.”
Santillana’s attorney, Naiara Testai, filed a habeas corpus petition on Wednesday. She said Santillana is expected to have a court hearing next week but declined to provide further details.
The Colombian Consulate confirmed that it is aware of the situation and is working to provide assistance.
### Context and Community Response
The years around 2023, when DHS said Santillana crossed the border, saw record numbers of people traveling from South America to the United States. In response, Texas Governor Greg Abbott sent migrants by bus and train to Chicago and other interior U.S. cities perceived as immigration-friendly, a political move aimed at highlighting strained resources at border cities.
At a Thursday news conference, Maria Guzman, a parent of a child at Rayito de Sol, described the arrest as “something that is out of a terror movie.” She said, “I could not sleep last night thinking about the safety of my children. This is deeply, deeply personal.”
While parents did not have specifics about Santillana’s immigration status, they expressed strong support for her, affectionately calling her “Miss Diana.”
“Our experience with her has been absolutely amazing,” said Sara Nepomuceno, 29, whose 5-month-old daughter has been attending Santillana’s class for about two months. “I’m a first-time mom,” she added, “and going back to work can be a really hard experience, but Diana made it so easy.”
### Details of the Arrest
The arrest occurred at approximately 7:15 a.m. Wednesday, shortly after the school opened, according to officials, witnesses, and school staff. Agents reportedly followed Santillana and the male passenger into the school parking lot at 2550 W. Addison St., near Lane Tech College Prep High School.
School staff told the Chicago Tribune that agents entered the school without presenting a warrant before pulling Santillana outside. Elected officials, including U.S. Representative Delia Ramirez (D), confirmed seeing agents inside the school.
“They went inside the day care center, questioned and took someone to her locker room to prove she had papers. We saw them run in and out,” Ramirez said Wednesday following the arrest.
DHS accused Santillana of “barricading” herself inside the daycare with the male passenger, allegedly “recklessly endangering the children inside.” The department also claimed she paid smugglers last month to bring her two children, ages 16 and 17, across the border through El Paso, Texas, to a Chicago-area shelter as unaccompanied minors.
According to DHS, “Facilitating human smuggling is a crime.”
### Questions About Family Reunification
While parents knew Santillana had children, it remains unclear whether she has been reunited with them, and if so, how.
Julie Contreras, a pastor and immigrant advocate at United Giving Hope, who has over 30 years of experience reuniting unaccompanied children with their families and helping them seek asylum, said unaccompanied minors are typically first apprehended by U.S. Customs and Border Protection or Border Patrol.
The Office of Refugee Resettlement, also under DHS, then vets reunification with parents or guardians.
Contreras said it is unusual to accuse a biological mother of trafficking or smuggling her own children. “Trafficking involves forced exploitation, and smuggling requires physically transporting someone illegally, which the mother could not have done if already in the U.S.,” she explained.
“I don’t know her personally or the children, but how horrific this would be because she is only guilty of being a mother who loved her children and wanted to be reunited with them,” Contreras added.
### A Teacher Beloved by the Community
Parents at Rayito de Sol described Santillana as caring for about six infants, someone who “always willing to go above and beyond” for the school community.
“She would dress up in silly hats and unicorn costumes to entertain the children,” said Laura Tober, whose 14-month-old child has been in Santillana’s class since July.
A “Meet the Teacher” brochure shared by a parent revealed that Santillana has two children and has been working with children in schools and kindergartens for 10 years. She holds a degree in early childhood education from San Buenaventura University in Medellin, Colombia, where she is originally from.
“She is someone who likes to nurture and leave a mark on young ones,” the brochure stated.
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The arrest of Diana Patricia Santillana Galeano has ignited a complex debate about immigration enforcement, community trust, and the rights of families amid ongoing border challenges. The coming court proceedings and community response will likely continue to shape the conversation around such cases in Chicago and beyond.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/06/ice-day-care-teacher-arrest-questions/