DHS announces "Operation Midway Blitz" in Chicago; Trump federalizing Illinois National Guard
CHICAGO (WLS) -- The Chicago area is seeing an increase in federal immigration enforcement.
President Donald Trump says the surge in immigration enforcement activity in the Chicago area is about getting dangerous criminals off the streets.
Some 300 federal agents are using North Chicago's Naval Station Great Lakes as the logistical hub for ramped-up operations.
Protesters and federal agents have continued to clash outside an ICE Processing Center in Broadview, Illinois.
ABC7 is tracking the latest news in the city and suburbs. Here are the latest developments.
Late Monday, ICE said agents arrested at least four men from Mexico in the Chicago area on Sunday.
They are accused of crimes like DUI, vehicular burglary, armed robbery, domestic battery, assault and sexual assault of a child, ICE said.
ICE said one arrest was made at 47th and Archer and another was made at 49th and Archer. ICE did not provide locations for the other two arrests.
The Supreme Court on Monday cleared the way for federal agents to conduct sweeping immigration operations in Los Angeles, the latest victory for President Donald Trump's administration at the high court.
The justices lifted a restraining order from a judge who found that "roving patrols" were conducting indiscriminate arrests in LA. The ruling barred agents from stopping people solely based on their race, language, job, or location.
It's unclear if the ruling applies beyond Los Angeles.
But legal experts and advocates tell the I-Team they fear those same tactics will be deployed in Chicago, just as the threat of a mass incursion of immigration agents comes to fruition, newly-labeled by the Department of Homeland Security as operation "Midway Blitz." Click here for more.
Evanston is preparing for possible ICE raids in the coming days.
The mayor there was tipped off by the governor's office and sent out an email blast, letting residents know.
"We're also working with community partners. So for example, this morning, the high school sent an email blast as well to all of their families, knowing that some people might get ours and not theirs, some people might get theirs and not ours," said Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss.
The Evanston City Council will vote on a resolution calling for the state to address ICE agents wearing masks on Monday night.
"We believe that it is just fundamentally wrong in a democracy for an agent of the state to use the power of the state without identifying themselves clearly with transparency and accountability," Biss said.
Immigrant advocates say they have already received a large volume of calls to their hotline about Immigration and Customs Enforcement encounters.
Ald. Jeylu Gutierrez says at least three encounters took place in the 14th Ward over the weekend.
And on Monday morning, the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights says their teams were deployed to 61st and Kildare on Chicago's Southwest Side after reports of immigration agents in the area.
"What we do know is they attempted arrests, and there has been at least one arrest for today," said ICIRR Senior Director of Deportation Defense Rey Wences.
ABC7 reached out to the Department of Homeland Security about these alleged encounters but did not immediately hear back. Click here for more.
