ICE Raids, Arrests In Chicago, Suburbs: What We Know So Far

CHICAGO, IL — A north suburban father and grandfather, who came to the United States from Mexico more than 30 years ago and was charged with a DUI more than 20 years ago,was arrested by ICE over the weekend, his family said.

Andres Marquina, who also obtained a green card after coming to the U.S. and worked in a warehouse while raising his family, was in the process of working with a lawyer to have the decades-old DUI arrest expunged from his record, his daughter, Yenitza, told the Lake County News-Sun.

On Sunday, officers with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement showed up and took Marquina, of Waukegan, into custody as part of President Donald Trump's mass deportation crackdown, according to the article. His family has since set up a GoFundMe to help pay for legal fees to help fight Marquina's immigration case.

The arrest is among dozens being reported across the Chicago area after "enhanced targeted" immigration enforcement raids started here over the weekend. In recent days, arrests, as well as reports of Department of Homeland Security activity, have been reported in Crystal Lake, Elgin, Round Lake and Chicago.

• Man Taken By ICE In Lake Co. Arrested For DUI 20 Years Ago: Family
• If ICE Comes To School: IL Issues Guidance For Teachers, Staff

On Sunday, Trump border czar Tom Homan told NBC the Chicago-area arrests included several people convicted of serious crimes — like murder and sex offenses. He also said people without criminal convictions who were present during the raids would also be detained.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said Sunday on CNN’s "State of the Union" that he supported the deportation of violent criminals with convictions but does not think law-abiding immigrants should be targeted.

"Why are we going after them?" he asked. "These are not people who are causing problems in our country, and what we need is a path to citizenship for them.

“We need to secure our border. We need to get rid of the violent criminals, but we also need to protect people, at least the residents of Illinois and all across the nation who are just doing what we hope that immigrants will do,” he added.

ICE’s daily arrests, which averaged 311 in the year ending Sept. 30, stayed fairly steady in the first days after Trump took office, then spiked dramatically Sunday to 956 and Monday to 1,179, according to the Associated Press. If sustained, those numbers would mark the highest daily average since ICE began keeping records.

Numbers for arrests in Chicago and the surrounding Chicago suburbs were not available as of early Thursday. Patch has reached out to ICE media representatives for more information but has not yet heard back.

Meanwhile, local law enforcement agencies have been fielding calls from concerned residents as well as residents "requesting them to enforce federal law," which local police, under state law, cannot do, said Christopher Covelli, deputy chief for the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

"We have received calls from people who express their displeasure with federal authorities being in the county and express they hope we are not involved in immigration enforcement," Covelli said. "On the other side, we’ve received calls from people who express they want us to allocate staff to enforce federal immigration law. We inform anyone that contacts us that we are only authorized to enforce state law, we do not have the power or authority to enforce federal crimes. Just like federal agents lack the ability to enforce state law, they can only enforce federal law."

Related: Sheriff's Office 'Cannot Support ICE' Because Of IL Law: Hain

Last week, the state's attorney general, Kwame Raoul, issued updated guidance to state, county and local law enforcement agencies to clarify the role of Illinois’ law enforcement agencies and the enforcement of federal immigration laws. The guidance detailed the provisions of the Illinois TRUST Act and the Voices of Immigrant Communities Empowering Survivors Act.

The purpose of both, Raoul said, was to "increase trust and cooperation between immigrant communities and police departments." Both of the state laws generally prohibit law enforcement agencies from participating in federal civicil immigration enforcement.

The laws also create procedural requirements to support immigrant who have been victims of violent crimes or human trafficking, Raoul added.

“Civil immigration enforcement is the responsibility of the federal government. State law does not grant local law enforcement the authority to enforce federal civil immigration laws," Raoul said. "This includes participating, supporting or assisting in any capacity with federal immigration enforcement operations unless federal agents have a criminal warrant or federal law specifically requires it."

Meanwhile, the Way Forward Act allows the attorney general Illinois to conduct investigations and take civil enforcement action to ensure compliance with the TRUST Act and the VOICES Act.

The Way Forward Act requires law enforcement agencies to file an annual report with the attorney general’s office that includes information regarding the agency’s response to any immigration detainer requests or civil immigration warrants the agency received.

• DHS 'Conducts Investigation At Home In Crystal Lake': Police

Suburban Reports Of ICE Operations

In Crystal Lake, police were notified by the Department of Homeland Security regarding an investigation they were conducting at a residence in Crystal Lake, Richard Neumann, deputy chief of police for the Crystal Lake Police Department, told Patch.

"I was not informed about the specific details regarding the activity," Neumann said. He also said police in Crystal Lake were not involved in the investigation.

A Patch reader shared video from the reported incident, which involved a large police presence in the 200 block of Church Street between 4:45 and 7 a.m. Tuesday. He requested the video not be shared publicly. He said there were several police cars, with lights activated, in the neighborhood and, at one point, a helicopter overhead.

An officer can be heard in the video announcing they were serving a warrant during the "pretty intense apprehension."

"The last hour was particularly tense — almost seemed like a standoff," the Patch reader said.

Trump's directive last week regarding immigrant deportation gives federal authorities "authority to investigate and apprehend illegal aliens," according to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security.

“Thanks to the last Administration’s open border policies, we’ve seen violent criminals and gang members terrorize American communities. Today’s action empowers law enforcement officials at the DOJ to help identify and apprehend aliens who have illegally come into our country," said acting Department of Homeland Security secretary Benjamine Huffman. "Mobilizing these law enforcement officials will help fulfill President Trump’s promise to the American people to carry out mass deportations. For decades, efforts to find and apprehend illegal aliens have not been given proper resources. This is a major step in fixing that problem.”

In Elgin, a man was removed from a house in the 300 block of Silver Street in Elgin on Tuesday by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, according to media reports.

The Elgin Courier-News is reporting the U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force accompanied ICE on the detail, which “pertained to an individual wanted on a parole violation warrant,” according to Belkis Sandoval, public affairs officer for the U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force.

“(The suspect being sought) has an attempted murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and unlawful use of a weapon by a gang member warrant out of Elgin,” Sandoval told the Elgin Courier-News.

Officials looked into reports of ICE activity in Mundelein over the weekend but did not find any evidence that federal officers were in town.

Mundelein Police Chief Jason Seeley and David Ortiz, executive director of Mano a Mano Family Resource Center and a Waukegan Township trustee, said they both read about ICE activity in Mundelein on Sunday, according to the Lake County News-Sun.

Seeley said his department sent officers to the location reported on social media but did not see any signs of federal officers or an ICE raid.

In a statement from village officials addressing the federal immigration activity, police said the Illinois TRUST and VOICES acts outline prohibitions, restrictions, and limitations relating to Illinois law enforcement’s involvement in federal immigration enforcement.

"Mundelein police personnel comply with all requirements of both acts and will not participate in any of the ongoing federal immigration activities occurring throughout the country or across the state," according to the statement. "Furthermore, the police department intends to continue to collaborate with local leaders, schools, businesses, community groups, and places of worship to educate and assist them in protecting their interests."

• ICE Officials Remove Man From Elgin Home: Authorities
• Mundelein Police Respond To ICE Activity In Town

In rural portions of Lake County, Covelli said the sheriff's office has not been requested to assist with any enforcement activities or made aware of any by federal authorities.

If ICE Comes To Schools

The Trump administration announced last week it would allow federal immigration agencies to make arrests at schools, churches and hospitals, ending a policy that had been in effect since 2011.In new guidance released Wednesday, Illinois education officials advise schools to do their best to protect their immigrant students, while also adhering to state and federal law.

"ISBE believes schools should be a safe haven for all students where students should be able to learn without fear," state education officials noted in the new guidance.

Related: IL Sues Trump Over Ending Birthright Citizenship

Tuesday’s move to clear the way for arrests at schools reverses guidance that restricted two federal agencies — Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection — from carrying out enforcement in sensitive locations.

In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security said: “Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest.”

The Illinois Education Association has spoken out about the new policy.

“We will not stand by and let our students, our families and our communities be torn apart. No family should be criminalized for wanting a safe and better future. In this country, every child has the right to learn at our public schools, colleges and universities," said Al Llorens, Illinois Education Association president. "And here in Illinois, it is the IEA’s mission to make sure ALL children have access to an equitable, high-quality public education. School buildings should be safe havens. Our students should not have to fear attending school."

An estimated 733,000 school-aged children are in the U.S. illegally, including 21,000 in Illinois, according to the Migration Policy Institute. Many more have U.S. citizenship but have parents who are in the country illegally.