Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Friday responded to a call from some Chicago school board members to consider remote learning during the Trump administration's immigration crackdown in the city.

During the board meeting this week, some members said the immigration operations have escalated to the point, that parents have expressed concern about getting students to class, and getting home safely, and they called for the governor to support e-learning.

"This is an emergency right now," said board member Emma Lozano, who was visibly emotional. "So we need to figure that out. Whether we go to the governor all together, we write a letter, we do what we have to do. We march, we do everything but... It is an emergency, right now."

However, Pritzker shared a different perspective.

"Remember, very importantly, I think one thing we learned during COVID is that remote learning really has a deleterious effect on kids' ability to get the kind of education they need, and so we want to do everything we can to keep kids in school where they are safer, frankly, than when they are wandering around in the community," he said.

The Chicago Sun-Times reported Interim Supt./CEO Macquline King said district leadership has discussed its options, including remote learning, but added that CPS does not have the authority to make that move without an emergency declaration from the governor.

The Illinois State Board of Education said it sent guidance to districts on Oct. 8 that indicates local officials can institute a remote learning day when they determine there are emergency conditions "that jeopardize safety and access to learning," the newspaper reporter.

As of Friday, there haven't been any reports of federal agents entering schools.

Pritzker also said schools are prepared for soft lockdowns if there are issues near school buildings - and he said neighborhood programs are available to support parents.