Officials in Evanston, Illinois have accused federal immigration authorities of “deliberately causing chaos” during a law enforcement operation on Friday, which sparked widespread public anger and protests.
According to reports, Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss and other local leaders held a press conference on Friday afternoon to condemn the actions of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials earlier that day. During the event, Biss delivered a strong statement, saying, “Our message for ICE is simple: Get the hell out of Evanston.”
In advance of the news conference, Biss, who is running for the U.S. Senate, shared a social media post describing the agents’ conduct as “monstrous.” He also pledged to monitor the movements of federal agents in the area and ensure that the Evanston Police Department responds appropriately.
The details surrounding the incident remain unclear, but a witness named Jose Marin told the local publication Evanston Now that immigration officials had intentionally caused a car crash near Chute Elementary School on Friday morning before detaining the passengers. Videos posted by journalists from the Chicago Tribune and Evanston Now show residents confronting law enforcement during the detention process.
The operation occurred on the same day that an independent investigative outlet, Bellingcat, released a report highlighting what it described as a “pattern of extreme brutality” by immigration enforcement officers in Illinois. The report analyzed social media footage of enforcement actions between October 9 and October 27, identifying multiple instances where riot control weapons were used in apparent violation of a court order.
According to Bellingcat, seven cases involved the use of riot control weapons when there was no clear immediate threat from protesters and no audible warnings were given. Nineteen instances involved the use of force, such as tackling individuals who were not actively resisting. Another seven cases involved agents ordering or threatening people to leave public spaces. Some events included multiple types of violations.
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