The residents of this heavily immigrant community outside the Washington now report people are hiding in their homes at night, and some children are being kept home from school for the fear of immigration enforcement sweeps that could break up families.

“They stay home at night.  It is just bad,” said Melissa Garcia. A 12-year old student at the Silver Spring International School and her uncle claim some students are staying away from the school while others are refusing to recite the “Pledge of Allegiance”.

Bethesda Church Members Rally To Save Burial Site

“They are afraid they might get deported or something like that,” said the 7th grader Melissa Muganda, whose mother is an immigrant from the Tanzania. The Montgomery County Schools have not recorded any unusual spikes in absences that can be attributed to immigration fears, according to 5the Derek G. Turner, spokesman for the school system.

Turner emphasized that school do not ask for, or share, any information on the immigration status.  Families should not be concerned about sending the children to school, Turner said.

By Mrudula Duddempudi.