With a December blizzard ripping through Willmar on Thursday, a lot of folks were talking about the high absentee rate in area schools this week.But it wasn’t about the weather.“Everybody’s scared in the community,” declared Stephanie Orozco, a mother of four. “Some have missed work; some have not taken their kids to day care.”She says her two kids, who attend classes in Willmar, were not among the 560 students who weren’t in school Monday and the 335 on Wednesday.But Orozco says she knows other families who’ve kept their kids home. “The fear that they might get taken away if ICE agents go into the schools,” she says. “If they get removed, they won’t be able to say goodbye to their children.”Orozco shared several videos, given to her by friends, who believe ICE agents are in town and may be taking people into custody.“What we understand, there’s some things that happened over the weekend with federal agents in the community,” explains Willmar Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Bill Adams. “We could guess that that had an impact on the amount of absences that we had from our student population.”Adams says no federal agents have approached any school, and says in any case, that would be unlikely.But he did send a note to parents, reassuring them that schools are a ‘safe space’ and that agents would need a judicial warrant to enter.We asked Adams what would happen if an agent had a judicial warrant and whether they could search a school building.“They would not have access to the building,” he explains. “We would not allow access to a student unless the parents were present. That’s basically where we would go with that.”“I think it’s a good thing they’re making it a safe space, I think children need that space,” says Anastasia Hernandez, who has two brothers going to Willmar schools.She notes some in the community are avoiding being seen in public. “People have offered to pick up children from school, whose parents are scared to go out,” Hernandez notes. “I know a few people are going grocery shopping for people.”KSTP reached out to ICE to see if the agency would confirm the presence of agents in Willmar, but we have not heard back.After everything that’s happened, Adams says he’s encouraged that attendance numbers are back to normal.Orozco and Hernandez say they and their families will be fine, but they worry about others in the community.“Even myself, I carry my passport for myself and my 2-year-old daughter, because you don’t know if they are going to pull you over,” Hernandez says.“We’re citizens, so I guess not much fear,” Orozco adds. “But for them who are maybe not citizens, more fear.” For Related Stories: Willmar ICE ICE Arrest Richard Reeve Schools