Federal agents detain two people after a traffic check in Addison, Illinois, on Sunday morning, immigration officials said.
The agents conducted the stop at La Huerta supermarket on Lake Street and Addison Road around 9 a.m. Addison is approximately 22 miles west of Chicago. The store manager documented the incident on social media.
According to a representative for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the people inside the car refused to comply with agent demands, prompting officers to break the vehicle’s glass and arrest the two individuals. The identities of the two detainees were not immediately published. A third person, the driver, presented the agents her green card and was released.
As a gathering formed, Addison Police Chief Roy Selvik said that officers had arrived to assist with crowd control at the location to assure safety. He stated that no Addison officers were involved in any federal immigration enforcement.
Martin Perez claims the two detainees are his cousins.
“These are just hardworking people. All they do is work every day, that’s all they do,” he said.
Perez said his cousins are undocumented but have lived in the nation for 30 years. One of them spent 20 years working for a landscaping company.
In a letter to the community on Sunday, Addison Mayor Tom Hundley addressed both the event and worries about immigration activities in the region.
“These events have understandably caused fear and uncertainty, and I want to assure you that your safety and dignity matter to me,” he said in the letter. “While immigration enforcement is a federal matter and outside the authority of our local government, I want to reaffirm what the Police Department has already shared: our officers do not assist with federal immigration operations, do not inquire about immigration status, and are bound by the Illinois Trust Act to preclude involvement in such enforcement.”
He went on to say that the federal presence in Addison “occurred without coordination or support from our police department.”
According to the mayor, police and fire crews attend locations where operations are taking place solely to ensure the safety of bystanders and avoid traffic interruptions.
“Addison is a varied and lively town, and its strength comes from the individuals who live and work here. Though our power to intercede in federal concerns is limited, I am dedicated to ensuring that our Village remains a courteous and inviting environment for all,” Hundley stated.
On Sunday afternoon, community people lined the roadway along La Huerta. Perez saw it as empowering to watch people come together hours after the incident. He stated that his two cousins, who are currently in federal detention, have no criminal past or record.
“Just the wrong place at the wrong time is what it comes down to,” Perez informed the crowd.
Immigration operations increased in Chicago and other parts of Illinois when “Operation Midway Blitz” was begun in early September, resulting in numerous raids, arrests, and protests.
Gov. JB Pritzker has expressed his views on immigration operations in Illinois and the Trump administration, including the deployment of the National Guard, saying, “Donald Trump wants to use the military to occupy a U.S. city, punish his dissidents, and score political points.”
On Thursday, Pritzker issued an executive order to handle federal enforcement in Illinois. He told CBS News that his newly formed Illinois Accountability Commission will maintain a permanent record of any civil rights violations by federal agents in Chicago.
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