Signs appearing to threaten immigrants pop up in Waukegan, North Chicago: 'This is pure hatred'

WAUKEGAN, Ill. (WLS) -- Threatening signs have been showing up on light poles and trees all over Waukegan and North Chicago starting last Monday.

But even as residents take some down, others pop back up. Police in both communities have now been made aware of the situation.

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On one sign, there is an image of a shark with the word "ICE" drawn on top of it. Another shows what appears to be an alien crudely drawn on top of images used for target practice with the word "MAGA" below it. The signs started showing up Waukegan over a week ago.

"This is a direct threat to the undocumented. This person would be telling us right here that he is ready to shoot someone," said United Giving Hope Pastor Julie Contreras.

Waukegan resident Aurora Flores said she personally took down about a dozen of them.

"When I saw one, we decided to investigate and ended up finding a bunch of them in front of different homes. It's in front of high-traffic areas," Flores said.

Surveillance video from the area near Ridgeland and Jackson appears to show someone with a ladder putting up one of the signs in the middle of the night. The time stamp partially blocks the footage.

"I recognized immediately the shark imagery that they tend to use. It shows birthday balloons so that children take notice and then can be frightened by the words written on it," Flores said.

Residents gathered in Waukegan on Sunday to speak out against what they view as a clear threat to the immigrant community. The first reports started coming in from North Chicago, where new ones appeared overnight, drawing the attention of police there.

"I happened to look out the window and saw one car, police sitting right there. And then, another pulled up," said North Chicago resident Cordell Wise.

Waukegan Mayor Sam Cunningham spoke out against the signs and whomever is behind them.

"This is not acceptable for anybody, regardless of what side you want to be on, freedom of speech. This is pure hatred," Cunningham said.

Cunningham encouraged anyone who comes across the signs to call police to report them. He told residents not to try to take them down themselves, saying instead to wait for the authorities to do so.