CHICAGO (WLS) — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement brokers have been noticed on the bottom within the Chicago space because the company mentioned “focused operations” are underway Sunday.
New video exhibits ICE and different federal brokers knocking on doorways and making arrests within the metropolis.
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ICE launched an announcement on Sunday saying that it’s working alongside a number of federal businesses, together with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Safety and the U.S. Marshals service.
ICE went on to say collectively they’ve began “conducting enhanced, focused operations at this time in Chicago to implement U.S. immigration legislation.”
President Donald Trump’s “border czar” Tom Homan and Appearing Deputy Legal professional Basic Emil Bove are on the town to supervise the deportation operations.
New photos launched Sunday by the DEA present Homan and Bove alongside federal brokers in Chicago.
READ MORE | Trump authorizes ICE to focus on faculties and church buildings as mass deportation fears develop in Chicago
And ABC7 spoke with one lady who says ICE arrested her father at his north suburban Waukegan residence early Sunday morning.
“For them to only take him like that,” mentioned Waukegan resident Yelitza Marquina. “They opened the door as a result of they thought, perhaps, certainly one of us was in hassle, or one thing occurred to us. By no means did he suppose they have been ICE.”
She says the 44-year-old grandfather got here to the U.S. from Mexico practically 30 years in the past.
Yelitza, who was born within the U.S., is certainly one of many individuals, now in search of authorized assist at Pastor Julie Contreras’ place of worship.
“I had a 4-year-old crying, fearing deportation. That’s not making America nice once more,” Contreras mentioned.
Yelitza mentioned she has not been in a position to communicate along with her father whereas he stays in ICE custody.
SEE ALSO | Chicago immigrant advocacy teams sue Trump administration, ICE over deliberate deportation raids
“I am already heartbroken, myself, and I can not actually think about little youngsters whose households are breaking up due to this,” she mentioned.
Cellphone video additionally exhibits brokers sweeping by way of west suburban Berwyn.
It’s unclear how many individuals have been arrested within the Chicago space to this point, however federal officers believed to be immigration officers focused a minimum of two house buildings in Albany Park.
Federal officers believed to be immigration officers focused a minimum of two house buildings in Albany Park on Sunday.
Three officers with vests figuring out them as police confirmed as much as a four-flat within the 4800-block of North Central Avenue simply earlier than 10:30 a.m. and started loudly knocking on everybody’s doorways. They left round 10 minutes later with out arresting anybody.
“I opened the curtain and noticed that it mentioned police. Once I noticed the brokers get out, they’d the constructing surrounded. So, they entered. They went up and began knocking on the doorways actually loudly. My youngsters began crying,” one Guatemalan immigrant, who didn’t need to be recognized, mentioned in Spanish. “They did not say something. They simply banged on the doorways. We did not open. We took all of the precautions everybody has been taking about.”
Whereas Homan says for now, they’re specializing in criminals with arrest warrants or deportation orders in opposition to them, the concern many have is that others, who Homan has known as “collaterals,” will even be arrested.
“The concern is that they are going to detain different individuals round them, perhaps that reside there or perhaps that simply occur to work together with them. And that is why it is essential that people know their rights and that they do not need to reply any questions,” mentioned Erendira Rendón with the Resurrection Venture.
In reality, these ABC7 spoke to at that Albany Park house constructing mentioned they have no idea who the brokers have been after.
“They are saying we’re all criminals, and that is not true. We’re right here working. I have been right here 14 years. I work and I pay my taxes,” mentioned the Guatemalan immigrant who spoke with ABC7.
Homan on ABC’s “This Week” pointed the finger at sanctuary cities, together with Chicago.
“Sanctuary cities lock us out of the jails. So as an alternative of ICE having the ability to arrest the dangerous man, that the prison alien within the security and safety of a jail, the place the officers are secure, the alien is secure, the general public secure, sanctuary cities launch him again locally,” Homan mentioned.
Homan additionally acknowledged there could also be arrests of individuals with no prison background, notably in sanctuary cities.
“Once we discover him, he’ll be with others. Almost definitely, many instances you are with others in a rustic illegally. They’re coming too,” Homan mentioned.
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Gov. JB Pritzker, who appeared on CNN Sunday, agreed that there isn’t a place for violent criminals who’ve been convicted and are undocumented. However he says the excellence have to be made between criminals and law-abiding undocumented immigrants.
“Why are we going after them? These aren’t people who find themselves inflicting issues in our nation, and what we’d like is a path to citizenship for them. We have to safe our border. We have to do away with the violent criminals, however we additionally want to guard individuals, a minimum of the residents of Illinois and all throughout the nation, who’re Simply doing what we hope that immigrants will do,” Pritzker mentioned.
ICE mentioned the company made 956 immigration-related arrests on Sunday, however didn’t specify whether or not any have been in Chicago.
Mayor Brandon Johnson issued an announcement later Sunday, saying, “There have been confirmed stories of ICE enforcement exercise in Chicago at this time, Sunday, January 26. Per Metropolis code, Chicago police weren’t concerned on this immigration enforcement exercise. My staff and I are in shut communication with Metropolis officers together with the CPD. It’s crucial that every one Chicagoans know their constitutional rights and share the Know Your Rights steerage with their neighbors and group.”
Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth launched a joint assertion on Sunday evening, saying, partially, “We stand with the immigrant group in Chicago and throughout the nation, and our places of work and caseworkers are prepared to assist those that are improperly caught up in these raids.”
This all comes as Trump has imposed emergency tariffs and visa restrictions on Colombia after two flights carrying undocumented migrants weren’t allowed to land within the nation.
Trump ordered a 25% tariff on all items coming into the U.S., and that can be raised to 50% in a single week.
Colombia’s president responded Sunday, saying it is going to impose reciprocal 50% tariffs on U.S. items.
SEE ALSO | Our Chicago: President Trump’s Proposed Tariffs & Doable Impacts
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