Federal immigration agents were at a Tri-Cities preschool. What happened?

Federal immigration officials paid a visit Thursday to a Kennewick preschool, confirmed school district officials.

Homeland Security agents asked to speak with a staff member about an individual they were seeking who was not a student or staff in the school district, the district said in a release to parents.

They arrived about 9 a.m. and remained on campus for about 20 minutes, a district spokesperson said.

“The school administrator immediately directed the officers to district legal counsel, who met with them, reinforced district policy regarding immigration activity on school grounds, and the officers left the property following that discussion without speaking to the staff member,” said the Thursday letter to families.

District staff say at no point were students or staff in danger.

The two officers presented themselves as Homeland Security officials by badge and business card, and no court documents were presented.

The school district has procedures in place when interacting with immigration officials, backed up by state guidance, that requires them to do the following: * Staff notifies the principal or designee right away. * The principal or designee requests a valid court order or judicial warrant before allowing communication with a student, entry onto school grounds, or any attempted arrest. * The principal forwards any request to the superintendent and/or district legal counsel. * And district leadership reviews the court order or judicial warrant to ensure it is signed by a judge and legally valid.

“We remain committed to keeping our schools safe, focused on learning and supported by clear, consistent procedures,” the district wrote in its letter.

The school district’s Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program is next to the school district office and Amistad Elementary School, at 830 W. Vineyard Drive.

The state program provides free preschool to children, mostly ages 3 and 4, who come from low-income backgrounds and have fewer opportunities for success in school and life.

Washington schools cannot initiate contact with immigration authorities to share information about students. If immigration officials make contact first, then schools are required to go through the procedures listed above.

Schools do not have the authority to enforce federal immigration laws, and all students have a right to public education in the U.S., regardless of citizenship or immigration status.

The Kennewick School District serves the largest number of migrant students in the Tri-Cities. About 2,100 of its students — or roughly 11% of its total enrollment population — come from migratory backgrounds.