ICE agents detain several people at immigration supervision program site in Chicago
It was a chaotic scene in Chicago's South Loop on Wednesday, as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and other officers took several people into custody.
Community activists and city leaders clashed with the federal immigration agents at the scene.
Agents spent several hours, starting around noon, at the BI Incorporated building at 2245 S. Michigan Ave. The company operates the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program for immigrants, a program that allows ICE to monitor migrants facing immigration proceedings without placing them in custody — sometimes through electronic monitoring.
Migrants are called to the facility on a regular basis to ensure they are complying with the condition of their release from custody, and to make sure they appear in court when required.
CBS News Chicago spoke to a number of people impacted by the detentions, and was provided screen shots of messages sent to immigrants asking them to come to the office for a routine appointment about their immigration status.
Instead, they left in handcuffs in ICE custody.
"People under this program has also received a similar text message, either yesterday or Monday, being told to come in and check in for an unexpected or unscheduled check-in," said Antonio Gutierrez, strategic coordinator and co-founder of Organized Communities Against Deportations.
The heavily masked federal immigration enforcement agents showed up unannounced. CBS News Chicago's cameras were there as agents detained several people.
Some ICE agents carried non-lethal ammunition commonly used to disperse crowds.
Witnesses said at least 10 people were loaded into vans. It was unclear why they were detained.
Service Employees International Union Local 1 President Genie Kastrup released the following statement following the arrests:
"The recent ICE operation in Chicago's South Loop, which resulted in the mass arrest of immigrant community members, is a grave affront to our city's values of inclusion and justice. SEIU Local 1 unequivocally condemns this action and stands in solidarity with our immigrant neighbors who are the backbone of our communities and keep our city running.
SEIU Local 1 will continue to advocate for policies that uphold the dignity and rights of all workers and community members. We urge our members and allies to join us in demanding accountability and in working towards a more just and equitable society."
A handful of Chicago alderpersons joined dozens of community activists and immigrant rights activists who were outraged by what they saw throughout the afternoon.
"We don't know who is arresting our brothers and sisters, because they are hiding behind masks," said Ald. Michael Rodriguez (22nd).
"When they go inside, automatically they arrested them," one man said at the scene.
The man said he dropped off friends who are Guatemalan asylum seekers at the office Thursday morning, and they were detained.
He said they all received a message from ICE instructing them to come in for a review of their case.
"We don't know where they are," the man said. "We don't know what happened when them."
Community members showed up in force Wednesday afternoon, yelling at ICE agents and trying to seek clarity on why people were being detained.
"What we saw today is Gestapo-style abductions happening in front of all of us," said Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th).
"People are not meant to be trapped," added Ald. Julia Ramirez (12th). "They need to live lives of dignity."
Attorney Cynthia Fernandez said her client, a Guatemalan immigrant, was detained by ICE.
"We don't understand why," Fernandez said.
Fernandez said her client too received the notice to appear.
"She followed everything. She did everything. She has an active pending work permit, and she was told to come in. She came in with her attorney — and yet she's still arrested," Fernandez said. "I'm her attorney. I should be able to do something, but I can't. I don't know where she is."
The tension between community activists and ICE agents has played out in other cities such as Minneapolis in recent days.
Chicago police confirmed officers were on scene to help with crowd control. Police said it was done in the interest of public safety, and CPD officers did not assist ICE.
ICE did not immediately respond to a request for information on how many people were taken into custody, and who was arrested.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem earlier Wednesday directed ICE agents to ramp up activity targeting immigrants who have overstayed their visas in the U.S.
The directive followed a terror attack in Boulder, Colorado, targeting a group of Jewish people. The suspect in that attack, 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman, is accused of overstaying his visa.
