Council wants answers on CPD response to ICE
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ICE agents carry out deportations in Chicago. Photo: Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images
A City Council committee is demanding more information on how and why Chicago police responded last month to calls for assistance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers as they detained people amid protests in the South Loop.
Why it matters: As a Welcoming City, Chicago's laws severely limit local law enforcement from assisting in federal immigration actions, but CPD officers performed crowd control and some traffic enforcement at the scene.
- After an assessment of the situation, safety officials say, police left the scene.
Catch up quick: On June 4, more than 20 people enrolled in an immigration surveillance program for those seeking legal status responded to texts asking them to show up at a South Loop ICE office for a check-in.
- But once they arrived, the individuals were separated from their lawyers and taken away by ICE officers who did not identify themselves nor show their faces.
Reality check: ICE officials say the officers had final orders of removal for all of the detainees, but ICE has failed to produce any evidence to support those claims.
- Axios has filed open records requests for the documents but has not received them.
State of play: On Tuesday, members of the City Council Committee on Immigration and Refugee Rights said they were shocked that 27 days after the incident the city still couldn't publicly share results of investigations into the matter.
Between the lines: Rather than blaming CPD officers, committee members, including Ald. Anthony Quezada (35th), said they wanted "to establish trust and accountability between the [CPD] and our community residents, so that we know for future reference how Chicago police will respond."
- There needs to be "a very clear process" that all city departments "follow when there is evidence that ICE, in fact, is engaging in the process of detainment and deportation," Ald. Jessie Fuentes (26th) tells Axios.
Yes, but: Deputy mayor for community safety Garien Gatewood tells Axios the process is already clear.
- "If they call because of a disturbance — not just ICE but if any officer calls for assistance — the Chicago Police Department is going to investigate the situation, determine what needs to happen, and leave just like they did in that situation," Gatewood said.
What's next: Immigration committee chair Ald. Andre Vasquez (40th) says the committee is still awaiting more information — like communication between CPD officers on June 4 — and hopes the full City Council can craft new rules to ensure everyone knows what to expect if and when more ICE apprehensions happen.