Knowing they cannot stop raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Lake County, leaders like state Sen. Adriane Johnson, D-Buffalo Grove, are urging residents to bear witness and make a record of area ICE activities.
“When you see ICE, take out your phone and video everything you see,” she said Tuesday. “Get videos and photos from all angles. This is putting ICE on notice that we will not tolerate them terrorizing us and our communities.”
Johnson’s suggestion came a day after ICE agents were spotted in the vicinity of North Elementary School on Monday in Waukegan as part of a broader effort in recent days all over Chicago and surrounding areas of federal agents looking for illegal immigrants.
As soon as reports of an ICE presence on the north side of Waukegan surfaced Monday, a “rapid response team” was dispatched to the area and Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 Superintendent Theresa Plascencia quickly reached out to the school community.
Part of a four-group coalition dealing with the efforts of President Donald Trump’s administration to deport immigrants in the country illegally, the rapid response team observed what was happening around the school and other areas near Sheridan Road.
Dulce Ortiz, executive director of Mano a Mano Family Resource Center and a Waukegan Township trustee, said the rapid response teams are a joint effort of Mano a Mano, HACES, the Center for Immigrant Progress and Illinois Workers in Action.
When ICE surfaces, a team — always in pairs — or teams go to the scene to observe what occurs and interact if appropriate, as happened Monday near the school. They observed three vehicles with ICE personnel parked near the school.
“They will keep coming as long as ICE keeps coming,” Ortiz said. “They know how to interact with federal agents, and how to interact with the court. They can offer resources.”
Ortiz said she is aware of someone in Waukegan who was apprehended by ICE on Sunday. She has not heard of any incidents since the sighting near the school in Waukegan, but she remains wary.
“We’re worried because we know they’re here, and we keep hearing stories about what’s happening in Chicago,” she said.
When Plascencia learned about ICE’s presence near a school, she quickly let the community know with an email and a posting on the district website. She made it clear there were no incidents near any of the school buildings and reiterated the District 60 policy.
“First and foremost, our schools remain safe and welcoming places for all students,” she wrote in the email. “The district is not involved in any federal law enforcement operations. Our district does not collect information about a student’s immigration status. Agents are not permitted access to our students without a valid warrant.”
Nick Alatzakis, the District 60 communications director, said the presence of ICE agents around a school leads to “heightened anxiety.”
Waukegan Mayor Sam Cunningham said he, too, is aware of confirmed ICE activity in the city. Under the Illinois TRUST Act, Waukegan police officers will not participate in immigration enforcement and will be fully uniformed so they are clearly identifiable, he said.
“You are encouraged to know your rights and be aware of misinformation,” Cunningham said. “Inform yourself through trusted sources.”
Gov. JB Pritzker said Tuesday outside a Church in Oak Park that an effort is being made throughout the state to let people know their rights should they encounter an ICE agent. However, he said, knowing and insisting on a person’s rights may not fully protect them when dealing with ICE.
“If you’re just walking your child to school, you can get grabbed by ICE,” Pritzker said. “Think about those children who are in school right now, who will come home to an empty house because their parents have been taken with an administrative warrant, not a judicial warrant.”
Both Greg Jackson, the chief of staff of North Chicago Mayor Leon Rockingham Jr., and Deputy Chief Chris Covelli of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, said they have not noticed any ICE activity in their jurisdictions. The sheriff handles police duties in unincorporated Lake County, and in other towns like Beach Park under a contract arrangement.
Johnson said people can do more than make videos of ICE actions when they see them. They can call 855-435-7693 and let people in a position to inform the community know what is happening. She said she and her colleagues in the Illinois General Assembly are looking at legislation to address the situation.
Attempts to reach a representative of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security or ICE were unsuccessful.
Angie Leventis Lourgos and Jeremy Gorner of the Chicago Tribune contributed to this story.
