Word spread - and fast - as it does in so many moments of rumor and fear .
Early Tuesday morning, dozens of concerned parents and staff members gathered outside of Mundo Verde, one of Washington's most prominent bilingual schools, bracing for a crackdown.
A flurry of rumors and unconfirmed media reports had fueled fears that agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement would be descending on area schools that were known to have large Hispanic immigrant populations.
The group tensed up as a black SUV slowly cruised past the school twice, then parked up the block. "I think it's happening," one parent said.
The man who emerged turned out to be a television news cameraman. People laughed in relief - for the moment.