CHICAGO — Standing on a street corner outside Hamline Elementary Monday afternoon, Gloria Marquez noticed the sidewalk had an unusually small number of parents for dismissal. Her 13-year-old and 9-year-old attend and are U.

Fearing federal agents asking to search a Chicago elementary school Friday morning were from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, school officials denied them entry. But it turned out they were US Secret Service agents pursuing an investigation.

The U.S. Secret Service says their agents came to the school to investigate a threat, not to enforce immigration laws. Their arrival spread fear in a community on high alert.