Hayward leaders on high alert after DHS federal agents visit elementary school

HAYWARD, Calif. (KGO) -- Hayward's mayor is reacting days after federal agents went to an elementary school campus on Friday.

Mayor Mark Salinas says he received a phone call from the district's superintendent that two Homeland Security investigators were looking for information about a student at Cherryland Elementary School.

"Was it surprising? Absolutely. I thought it was quite emboldened that they showed up at the front office of an elementary school," Salinas said.

Salinas released a statement to the community Sunday about the incident. He wanted to be precise that while the visitors weren't ICE agents, they were two employees from Homeland Security.

"And this is a very narrow group of investigators that investigate immigration related cases," Salinas said. "And based on the information I have, they were administering a subpoena for student records."

RELATED: Report of ICE agents in Oakland forces lockdown, protests at several schools

An Oakland elementary school and a preschool were placed on lockdown Wednesday in response to confirmed reports of ICE activity in the neighborhood.

This incident happened two days after an elementary school and a preschool were placed on lockdown because of federal agent activity in Oakland. Dozens of teachers and community members protested. Mayor Salinas would hope federal agents would notify local law enforcement ahead of time.

It does not appear to have happened in either case.

"When you have too many people out there with hard armor, and nobody knows what their roles are or what their functions are, and it's confusing, then nobody trusts anybody," Salinas said.

Alameda County Supervisor Elisa Márquez represents Hayward, Union City, Newark and portions of Fremont. She drove to Cherryland Elementary School on Friday after she heard what happened.

MORE: ICE conducts 'Knock and Talk' in Fremont, raising concerns among community leaders

"For me it was just that panic, you know, this is in our backyard, our community so I had to go there personally just to make sure there was no longer a presence," Márquez said.

Márquez joined a coalition of local leaders to launch the Stand Together Bay Area Fund. It will provide urgent financial assistance to local immigrant families facing federal enforcement.

"I feel like we're off to a good start, but it is unsettling when we put these programs, these initiatives in place and then the hits keep on coming," Márquez said.

Marquez recommends people follow the Alameda County Immigration Legal and Education Partnership for real-time updates on federal activity.