CHICAGO (WGN) — A tense public hearing was held Thursday at Thalia Hall in Pilsen as community members voiced concerns over the Chicago Police Department and how it has interacted with federal immigration agents since the start of Operation Midway Blitz.
“CPD has looked the other way when ICE and [Customs and Border Patrol] switch vehicle license plates or are not respecting traffic rules and regulations,” Antonio Gutierrez of Organized Communities Against Deportations said.
The Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability (CCPSA) hosted the hearing after local police district council members gathered 2,000 signatures of residents calling for transparency, accountability and clarity around CPD’s role and policy during immigration enforcement in Chicago.
“In Albany Park, we saw ICE came and caused unsafe conditions, threw tear gas, weapon pointing. What did CPD do? They opened a passageway so ICE could escape unscathed and the community members hurt. They were left without consideration of well being,” migrant worker Geovanni Celaya said.
Remel Terry, president of the CCPSA, addressed the crowd and stressed that while CPD is not allowed to collaborate with ICE or Border Patrol, they can intervene in some instances as part of Chicago’s welcoming city ordinance.
“If federal immigration officers are in danger, CPD can protect them. This law and policy have led to questions about whether certain CPD actions amount to assisting ICE or CBP with civil immigration enforcement, which isn’t allowed, or protecting public safety which is allowed,” Terry said.
Terry also encourages those who believe they have seen any inappropriate collaboration to file a complaint with the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) or the Inspector General.
Those in attendance at Thursday’s hearing want their voices heard and taken to top brass.
“District Council members are asking for a public hearing that includes Superintendent Snelling, all 22 district commanders, and deliver clear answers on communications and joint activity with ICE and Border Patrol,” Elianne Bahena of the 10th District Police Council said.
WGN-TV reached out to CPD who said they did not have a statement on Thursday’s meeting, but they did send over a statement they’ve previously released regarding the Welcoming City Ordinance, which reads:
In accordance with the City of Chicago’s Municipal Code, which includes the Welcoming City Ordinance, the Chicago Police Department does not assist federal immigration authorities with enforcement action solely based on immigration status. Additionally, CPD does not document immigration status and does not share such information with federal authorities.
CPD is prohibited by the Welcoming City Ordinance from participating in civil immigration enforcement operations or assist in the civil enforcement of federal immigration law. CPD’s Responding to Incidents Involving Citizenship Status policy also states that if the Department receives a request from an immigration agency to provide assistance with a civil immigration enforcement operation, a supervisor will respond to the scene. If the request is to assist in the enforcement of civil immigration law, the supervisor will decline the request. If the request is unrelated to civil immigration law, appropriate police action will be taken. The Responding to Incidents Involving Citizenship Status policy was recently revised to require a supervisor of higher rank (a Watch Operations Lieutenant or Street Deputy) respond to the scenes of these requests, in addition to the previously required supervisor from the district of occurrence.
To be clear, the Chicago Police Department will not assist or intervene in civil immigration enforcement in accordance with the City of Chicago Municipal Code. As always, we will continue to enforce the law if a crime occurs, regardless of the citizenship status of those involved.
The CCPSA said it plans to further discuss this issue at its meeting coming up in February.
Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is also using her legal experience to investigate potential violations throughout the recent immigrations crackdowns.
Lightfoot announced a project aimed at holding agents accountable for misconduct.
“Frankly, Kristi Noem should be ashamed of herself. It seemed like within minutes of this woman yesterday losing her life, she called her a domestic terrorist,” Lightfoot said in reaction to the Minneapolis woman shot and killed by an ICE officer Wednesday. “To me, it had shades of Laquan McDonald. The last car in the agents come out of, the car hot, and they immediately go to the car and try to pull this woman out.”
Lightfoot announced the launch of a new initiative, the ICE Accountability Project, a website where people can upload videos and digital evidence of alleged criminal conduct by immigration agents in Illinois.
“ReportICENow.com” allows submitters to submit information confidentially. Information will be reviewed and made public and the hope is evidence can be turned over to investigators and brought to a grand jury.
“I think a lot about the agent who, on Halloween in Evanston, pointed a gun at people, then went around the side of a car, put a person down on the ground, laying on top of him, punching that same person in the head, that agent has to be held accountable,” Lightfoot said.