(The Hill) — The Minneapolis school system announced Thursday it would be offering remote learning for a month as tensions escalate in the city after a federal officer shot and killed a woman this week.
In an email update to the staff and parents obtained by The Associated Press, a school administrator said, “This meets a really important need for our students who are not able to come to school right now.”
The Hill has reached out to the school district for comment.
Protests have been constant in the city since 37-year-old Renee Nicole Macklin Good was killed by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer on Wednesday.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the woman was using her vehicle as a weapon when the shot was fired, but Democrats and local leaders say video of the incident disputes that, and they are calling for a thorough investigation, as well as for ICE to leave the city.
The remote learning option was also announced after border patrol agents came on school grounds at Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis, and at least one teacher was arrested.
DHS said they were chasing a suspect who sped dangerously through the school zone and stopped close to the building. When officers were around the area, DHS said a violent crowd formed and control tactics such as pepper spray were needed.
Classes were canceled through the rest of the week after the incident.
Studies have shown that increased ICE activity in a city has led to declines in school attendance.