U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested two people in Evanston in separate incidents Tuesday, according to Evanston police Commander Ryan Glew.
One person was detained at Home Depot, located at 2201 Oakton St., and another person was picked up in the 800 block of Monroe Street.
Their identities and the reason they were arrested are unknown to the police department, Glew said.
The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the immigration agencies, did not immediately respond to questions from Pioneer Press.
Glew said in both incidents, Evanston officers arrived on the scenes after the federal immigration enforcement agents had left the area.
Evanston/Skokie School District 65 Superintendent Angel Turner released a letter to the community around noon Tuesday. Immigration agents have not come to any of the district’s schools she said.
“However, we know that the presence of ICE in proximity to D65 schools is causing concern and feelings of uncertainty,” Turner wrote.
Turner’s letter repeated information previously shared with the community. In case ICE — or other officials — were to be on school grounds, they would need to present a criminal arrest warrant signed by a judge in order to access a student or staff member, in line with the Illinois Trust Act. The agents would need a subpoena or a court order to access student records, as well.
“Students are encouraged to speak with a trusted adult at school if they are feeling unsafe,” Turner wrote.
The President Donald Trump administration has said it is targeting the “worst of the worst” during its latest immigration enforcement efforts in Chicago, called “Operation Midway Blitz.”
An analysis from the Chicago Tribune, however, found that while there has been a sharp increase in the number of immigrants detained in the Chicago area since January, most do not have a known criminal background.
