Two Democratic senators are accused federal immigration officers of duping school officials in Los Angeles into granting them entry to an elementary school, where they attempted to hold young children.

Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents reportedly told staff at two schools that they were conducting “welfare checks” to get access to school grounds. It appears that no children were brought into ICE custody after being turned away from both locations.

The events occurred at Russell Elementary School and Lillian Street Elementary School, and are the first recorded attempts by ICE to access school grounds since the Trump administration approved classroom immigration raids.

Trump modified federal legislation soon after taking office to authorize raids on schools, churches, and hospitals, lifting a moratorium that has been in place since 2011.

California Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff slammed the Trump administration for allowing the breach of trust, K-12 Drive reported on Tuesday. They also claimed that ICE’s operations “terrorized hundreds of thousands of students across Los Angeles.”

Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel arrived at two LA Unified School District primary schools in early April and deceived educators into believing they had parental authorization to talk with pupils. After consulting with district officials and legal advice, school workers turned them away.

“When we spoke, we informed you that reports indicated that, while attempting to enter the schools, HSI officers falsely told school staff that they had received permission from the families to speak with their children,” wrote Padilla and Schiff in a letter to Homeland Security Investigations’ acting executive associate director, Robert Hammer.

According to a DHS official, the incident had “nothing to do with immigration enforcement” and the check was to ensure immigrant children “are safe and not being exploited, abused, or sex trafficked.”

Padilla and Schiff do not buy it. They advised HSI not to attempt to access schools without a warrant.

“We are deeply concerned that HSI officers attempted to question several children, between first and sixth grade, during the school day apparently without contacting or coordinating in advance with the schools, parents or guardians, or state or local child welfare agencies,” according to the letter. “Though the agents were purportedly there to conduct a ‘welfare check’ on the children, their actions instead terrorized hundreds of thousands of students across Los Angeles and undermine public trust.”

Padilla and Schiff requested answers from HSI about why the immigration agents were plainly lying to school staff, and they gave Hammer until May 2 to respond.

“We would like to understand what steps you are taking to review and address your agents’ conduct, including determining why they said they received permission to speak with children from their families when that was not the case,” according to the letter.

They went on to say, “These ‘welfare checks’ scare children and their families, rather than promoting their safety. If ICE and HSI want to ensure unaccompanied children’s welfare, these agencies should urge the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) within the Department of Health and Human Services and the White House to restore legal and social services for these children, rather than terrorizing them and their classmates at school.”

School personnel and teachers around the country have reported heightened pupil concern since Trump permitted previously prohibited school raids.

Denver Public Schools filed a lawsuit in February, claiming that the new policy has resulted in a significant decline in attendance and is jeopardizing the district’s capacity to educate and provide for students.