Evanston Mayor Will Open Investigations After Violent ICE Arrests

EVANSTON, IL — Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss said he plans to open two investigations after federal immigration authorities were caught on camera repeatedly punching a person in the head during an arrest on Friday.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, agents were conducting an immigration raid when they observed a red vehicle tailing their vehicle. When the agents turned the vehicle, the car behind crashed into them, DHS claims, and a "hostile crowd" gathered around.

In an interview with CNN, Biss claimed the agents deliberately caused the car accident because they didn't like being followed

"I will continue to track the movement of federal agents in and around Evanston and ensure that the Evanston Police Department is responding in the appropriate fashion," Biss said.

The more ICE and CBP try to intimidate us, the stronger we will fight back. pic.twitter.com/Jo23Mg557Z
— Daniel Biss (@DanielBiss) November 1, 2025

Immigration agents arrested three people after a sedan collided with the rear of the U.S. Border Patrol vehicle around noon Friday in the city of Evanston. The episode drew a crowd of onlookers and quickly escalated.

Federal agents are seen at times deploying pepper spray, punching a man who approaches the officers, and pointing a gun in the direction of another woman who opened the agents' vehicle door, where a detainee had been placed.

Federal agents have been spreading throughout Evanston in recent days as part of President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement activities in the Chicago region. In response, some Evanston community members have set up "rapid response" teams, organizing to warn residents when federal agents are spotted and working to slow the agents as they travel through the region.

The mayor has urged more people to join the rapid response team, and city officials have passed ordinances declaring city property to be "No ICE Zones." This week, the Evanston Police Department began sending a supervisor to any reported immigration enforcement scene to document what happens and collect evidence for the Illinois attorney general's Civil Rights Division, Police Cmdr. Ryan Glew said.

Evanston stands as a Welcoming City, enacting a resolution this month that declared all city-owned property as ICE-free zones.

Evanston adopted the Welcoming City Ordinance in 2016, limiting local involvement in federal
immigration enforcement. In 2025,the city further enhanced the ordinance adding more safeguards and address growing concerns among immigrants in Evanston.

"This ordinance ensures everyone in Evanston can live with respect, safety, and dignity, irrespective of their immigration or citizenship status," city officials said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report