ICE Agents Detain US Citizen in Evanston, Illinois, Leaving Him Injured
ICE agents in Evanston, IL mistakenly detained a US citizen Sunday, leaving him with head, neck, and tooth injuries. DHS says he was released after identifying himself.
US Citizen Pinned to Ground by ICE Agents in Chicago Suburb
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents mistakenly detained an American citizen in Evanston, Illinois, on Sunday morning, leaving the man injured on a public street, cnn.com reports. Evanston police were dispatched at approximately 9:49 a.m. following reports of two men arguing and found the man on the ground, surrounded by bystanders who had already begun to assist him.
An ambulance was called after the man reported injuries to his head, neck, and teeth. Evanston's police chief later met with him at a local hospital, where an evidence technician photographed and documented his wounds. Witnesses at the scene told officers they believed ICE agents had been attempting to detain the man, identified by police only as an Evanston resident.
Witness Video Captures the Confrontation
Surveillance footage obtained by CNN appears to show two agents and the man in an upright struggle before federal officials pull him to the ground. Cellphone video recorded by a bystander, beginning mid-confrontation, shows the man pinned down while a voice is heard saying, "I'm a f**king US citizen." One of the two agents visible in the footage was masked and wearing a hood. The agents appear to release the man and step back, after which they return to their vehicles and drive away — leaving him lying face down in the street.
Miguel Olivares, who said he was on a break from a nearby Mexican restaurant on Howard Street, told CNN affiliate WLS he noticed the confrontation from outside. "It looked like police vehicles until I started hearing, 'I'm a US citizen. I'm a US citizen,'" Olivares said, at which point he began filming. "They were being rough with him; they had him pinned against the floor, and it looked like one of the agents hit him in the face," he added. After agents left, Olivares and others tried to comfort the man. "He was shaken up. He wasn't really able to talk much. All he said was that he was a US citizen, that he doesn't know why they targeted him," Olivares told WLS.
Federal Agents Say Target Refused to Identify Himself
While responding to the scene, an Evanston officer encountered two SUVs near a nearby intersection and spoke with an individual who identified himself as a federal agent conducting a "fugitive investigation." The person was wearing plain clothes and a vest marked "POLICE" with federal law enforcement markings, according to Evanston police.
The agent told the officer that agents had tried to identify a person who resembled someone they were seeking, but that the individual refused to provide identification and "resisted detention." After agents determined the man was not their target and that he was a US citizen, they released him, police said.
The Department of Homeland Security told CNN that ICE agents had "immediately identified themselves as law enforcement" upon encountering the man during a targeted enforcement operation. "The individual was given lawful commands but was not cooperative and refused to identify himself," a DHS spokesperson said. "ICE officers relied on their training and later left the scene without further incident once the individual finally identified himself." DHS said the man refused assistance from ICE agents but did not address his injuries in its statement.
Evanston police noted that an officer observed blood on the hands of the agent in the SUV. The agent said the injury occurred while attempting to detain the man and declined medical treatment. At the time of the incident, five federal agents were operating in separate vehicles in the area to search for their target, the agent told Evanston police.
Investigation Underway; No Charges Filed
Evanston police said it is investigating the incident and that officers are preserving available body camera footage and interviewing witnesses. The Cook County State's Attorney's Office said in a statement to CNN that law enforcement has not yet presented the case to its office. "The CCSAO can only file charges after law enforcement completes an investigation. At that time, the CCSAO will conduct a full review of the evidence collected by law enforcement to make a charging decision based on the facts and the law," the statement read.
Federal agents departed the area after protesters began to gather, according to local police, who said the agents feared they would be attacked.
Part of Broader Immigration Enforcement Push
The Evanston incident is one of several cases in which US citizens have been caught up in the Trump administration's immigration enforcement operations. One year after "Operation Midway Blitz" — a large-scale ICE crackdown targeting Chicago and surrounding areas — legal challenges against agents' tactics remain ongoing. Nationwide, the administration's enforcement campaign has prompted protests, court battles, and political criticism over the methods federal agents have employed.
DHS, in a statement, cited ICE's statutory authority under 8 USC 1357, noting that "law enforcement officers use 'reasonable suspicion' to investigate immigration status and probable cause to make arrests consistent with the statute and the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution."
Source: NYT US News