Federal agents detained four men in Waukegan in a single day this week in the largest immigration enforcement action since the end of Midway Blitz in November, increasing fears in the community which never went away.
Dulce Ortiz, the executive director of the Mano a Mano Family Resource Center and a Waukegan Township trustee, said every few weeks there have been arrests of an individual, but the activity on Wednesday and Thursday was the most in the county since 76 people were detained over 70 days last fall.
“We’ve seen a high increase of (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) ICE in the Chicago area, mainly at courthouses,” Ortiz said. “We knew it was only a matter of time before they got to Lake County. This was the first time we’ve had this much at once since November.”
Four men were detained by federal immigration enforcement officers on Wednesday at three locations in Waukegan, and agents were spotted Thursday in Round Lake Beach, but no arrests were reported there.
An ICE spokesperson confirmed in an email Friday that the agency was conducting “targeted enforcement operations” in Waukegan on Wednesday.
Even before Midway Blitz last fall, Ortiz said people were afraid to leave their homes and stayed away from a number of places. Many refrained because they were either part of a mixed family or did not have immigration status. Fear spread in the fall as the number of agents tripled.
“People are still fearful,” she said. “We’re still delivering food to people because they’re afraid to leave their home. People still don’t want to risk it.”
Any time there is a suspicion ICE may be in a particular area, Ortiz said the rapid response teams are dispatched to observe, make a record, and help families of people who are taken. The team was active on Wednesday in Waukegan and on Thursday in Round Lake Beach.
At around 9:15 a.m. On Wednesday, Ortiz said the rapid response team was dispatched to an area near the intersection of Belvidere Road and Powell Avenue where a man was taken into custody by federal agents. He was transported to the Broadview detention center. Activity continued.
“Two men were kidnapped outside a restaurant on Green Bay Road,” she said. “One was taken. One ran and was overtaken. It happened around 11 a.m.”
ICE confirmed the man who ran from agents was Carlos Gerardo Espinal-Zuniga, 30, from
Honduras. Officers apprehended him after he fled on foot. He was arrested by Waukegan police last year for possession of a controlled substance.
He was previously deported in 2020 and 2019. He will remain in ICE custody pending removal.
Ortiz said a fourth man was detained Wednesday in a parking lot outside a Uline warehouse in Waukegan. On Thursday morning, agents were observed in Round Lake Beach. The rapid response team watched their activity but no one was taken into custody.
The ICE spokesperson did not report anything about the other three men.
As the weather began to warm, Ortiz said increased enforcement activity was anticipated. The rapid response teams are continually ready to record what they observe. Part of the reason may be political, as President Donald Trump wants to keep his followers happy, she said.
“The MAGA (Make America Great Again) base is asking for more immigration detentions,” Ortiz said. “The administration is doing this to appease them. People are afraid because they don’t know if it’s going to stop. People should carry their passport or Real ID.”
As long as there is continued immigration enforcement in the area, she said the repaid response teams will be on alert. If people see concerning activity, they can call 855-435-7693.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and ICE did not respond to a request for a comment.
