(The Center Square) – Democratic and Republican lawmakers clashed this week after a West Chicago teacher was placed on administrative leave over a social media post interpreted as supporting Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Democrats called the message harmful, and Republicans warned against targeting federal law enforcement.
In a statement, Superintendent Kristina Davis said, “On Jan. 22, 2026, the district learned of concerns over a disruptive social media post by an employee. The teacher initially resigned but later withdrew it. Following a meeting with administration, the employee has been placed on administrative leave and is barred from district property pending the investigation.”
The teacher’s name has not been disclosed.
On social media, state Sen. Karina Villa, D-West Chicago, condemned the message as harmful to immigrant families and students.
Villa said remarks supporting ICE “create a dangerous and harmful climate within our schools,” particularly in predominantly Latino and immigrant communities. She cited ongoing family separations and reports of “neighbors experiencing brutality at the hands of federal agents,” arguing such messages undermine students’ sense of safety.
Republicans, however, pushed back forcefully.
State Rep. Adam Niemerg, R-Dieterich, the Republican spokesman for the Illinois House Immigration and Human Rights Committee, accused Democrats of fueling hostility toward federal law enforcement and politicizing a vague, two-word post.
“First off, I think the Democrats in the state of Illinois are fueling a lot of this hatred towards ICE,” Niemerg said in an interview. “In other states, you don’t see this. You see ICE working with local law enforcement, able to apprehend rapists, murderers, thugs, violent illegals that are on our streets.”
He went further, saying educators should support ICE’s mission.
“I think that every teacher should be posting ‘Go ICE,’” Niemerg said. “ICE’s mission… is to protect and find those 300,000 children that were put in the sex trade as a result of Biden’s open-border policies. I would assume that teachers would be pro-ICE because ICE… they’re the ones that are trying to protect children.”
Niemerg questioned whether school officials and lawmakers were overreacting to an ambiguous post that read, “GO ICE.” Even if the post was intended as support for ICE, Niemerg said, that should not trigger discipline.
“So, let’s say this individual is a supporter of ICE, what’s wrong with that?” he asked. “What’s wrong with supporting our federal law enforcement agencies in doing their jobs to restore safety and security?”
Villa said she stood “in unwavering solidarity” with families at Gary Elementary and District 33, calling the social media comments “deeply disturbing” while acknowledging free speech protections.
“As a former school social worker and school board member, I know how critical it is that our schools remain safe, welcoming spaces,” Villa said in a statement, adding that educators have a responsibility to ensure students can learn “without fear.”
Niemerg contrasted the response to this case with what he described as a double standard in other incidents involving educators.
“Just recently there was a Chicago school teacher that openly mocked the assassination of Charlie Kirk, and what did Chicago Public Schools do? Nothing,” he said. “They actually rallied around this individual to protect them.”
After the assassination of Charlie Kirk in October, a Nathan Hale Elementary School teacher faced calls for her firing after being recorded at a protest making a gun gesture to her neck and shouting “bang, bang.”
