Staging of U.S. Marshals At Rivercrest Shopping Center Not Related To ICE, Officials Claim

CRESTWOOD, IL — Law enforcement officials have confirmed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement and federal partner agencies were not staging Monday morning at the Rivercrest Shopping Center at 132nd Street and Cicero Avenue, in Crestwood.

An image circulated in neighborhood social media showing U.S. Marshals and Illinois State Police gathering in the shopping center’s parking lot, rumored to be ICE.

Crestwood police issued a statement on Facebook that they were unaware of any ICE activity in the village.

“We are unaware of what the officers were staging for, but they have left the area. As mentioned in several [social media] posts, there is a marked vehicle from the Illinois State Police in the photo, which we know the ISP are prohibited from assisting in any ICE operations.

“There is no indication these officers are affiliated with ICE and there is currently no ICE activity in Crestwood.”

The image surfaced on Neighbors app Monday morning, showing law enforcement officers huddled in front of Shoe Carnival, which faces Cal-Sag Road.

Patch reached out to Illinois State Police. An ISP spokesperson said that state troopers were assisting U.S. Marshals in executing a warrant, and stated that it was under federal jurisdiction.

Senior Inspector Belkis Sandoval, spokesperson for the U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Regional Task Force, said the federal marshals were on a “routine course of business” Monday morning in Crestwood working on an unrelated fugitive investigation.

She did, however, confirm that U.S. Marshals are assigned to various federal task forces at any given time, including ICE.

“This was unrelated,” Sandoval added.

Last week, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced at a news conference that Illinois State Police received word from U.S. Customs and Border Control chief, Greg Bovino, indicating that ICE would be deploying to Chicago. Pritzker said he believes the month of September was chosen because of Chicago’s Mexican Independence Day celebrations, which, this year, falls on Sept. 16.

Residents are feeling jittery when ICE launched “Operation Midway Blitz” over the weekend on Chicago's Southwest Side, resulting in several arrests. Activists said a well-liked flower vendor was arrested Sunday in the predominantly Latino Archer Heights neighborhood near 50th Street and Pulaski Road.

“We helped build this city through our labor and work,” Corina Pedraza with ICIRR, told WGN. “People may be afraid, but also they’re determined to say, ‘This is our home, this is where we belong. We won’t tolerate our people getting kidnapped.'”

Ald. Jeylu Gutierrez confirmed at least five people had been detained in Chicago's 14th Ward on Sunday. Detainees are being brought to an ICE detainment facility in Broadview.

Despite the unease of ICE agents raiding community parades and picnics celebrating Mexican Independence Day, vendors were out in force selling flowers, flags, trinkets and produce along Cicero Avenue and Pulaski Road.

The Trump administration announced that Chicago would be next in a stepped-up immigration enforcement operation in the city, as well as a broader crackdown on violent crime. The expansion includes the “expedited removal” program, combined with raids in neighborhoods and workplaces, often without due process.

The president has also threatened to deploy National Guard troops to Chicago. Activists have enacted an emergency protest plan. If troops are deployed to Chicago before 3 p.m., there will be a mass protest immediately at 5 p.m. Should troops arrive after 3 p.m., then a mass protest will take place the next day at 5 p.m., both at the Federal Center, 219 S. Dearborn St., Chicago.

Indivisible Chicago South Side Chapter and the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights are calling for an emergency protest at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 9, at Ida B. Wells and Michigan Avenue in response to “Operation Midway Blitz.”