Chicago City Council panel calls for deeper probe of CPD actions at ICE operation in South Loop
Did Chicago police violate the city's sanctuary city policies last month by assisting ICE during a federal immigration enforcement operation in the South Loop? CPD said they did not assist ICE at all, but some members of City Council are calling for a closer look.
At a hearing of the City Council Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights, police leaders said unequivocally that CPD officers did not help ICE agents during the June 4 operation at an Intensive Supervision Appearance Program facility at 2245 S. Michigan Av.
Police acknowledged officers responded to a call to assist at the building, but didnt know it was an ICE operation at first. They were briefly inside the building as ICE took 10 people into federal custody, then outside for a longer period for crowd and traffic control as protesters emerged, but police said the officers were never there to help ICE.
Migrants who regularly show up to that facility to prove compliance with the law arrived on June 4 for what they expected to be routine visit, only to be surprised by ICE hauling them off in handcuffs. Ten people were arrested in all.
"This was a setup, and there were human traps set up for families," Ald. Byron Sigcho Lopez (25th) said.
Protests over those so-called "human traps" emerged, and so did an impression by protesters that CPD was helping ICE.
"CPD officers made sure to protect ICE agents," protester Carson Wang said.
Some community activists said Chicago police officers acted as security guards for ICE agents
"As soon as a masked ICE officer arrived, they would place themselves to protect his pathway," said Xanat Sobreville, an organizer for Organized Communities Against Deportations. "It was clear to any Chicago resident there that [police] were not there to protect us. They were not there to ensure peace. Their presence made their loyalties clear. Their presence only raised a feeling of escalation and danger."
Police unequivocally denied officers were there to protect ICE agents or assist them in any way.
"CPD did not transport, detain, or take anyone into custody on June 4th at that address," said CPD director of community policing Glenn Brooks. "When officers arrived on scene, they had no knowledge that there was an immigration enforcement occurring."
CPD did go inside the facility briefly. Officers assessed it was a federal operation. The city's sanctuary city law precludes them from assisting further. As police exited the facility, they turned their attention to keeping the protestors outside – and those using nearby roads – safe.
Chicago police have said officers were there only to assist with crowd control. Police issued the following statement on the day of the incident:
"The Chicago Police Department responded to the 2200 block of S. Michigan for two calls of assist the police officer, which initiated the emergency response.
"Officers arrived without knowledge of immigration enforcement occurring at the location. CPD spoke with individuals inside a building at the location, as well as the large crowd gathered outside. CPD was on-site to ensure the safety of all involved, including those exercising their First Amendment rights.
"At no point did CPD assist in immigration enforcement. All actions taken by CPD during this incident were in accordance with CPD policy and the City of Chicago Municipal Code, including the Welcoming City Ordinance. No arrests were made by CPD and the crowd dispersed without incident."
The city's Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights demanded CPD hand over police worn body camera footage from that day, and transcripts of 911 calls from ICE and Homeland Security that sent officers there in the first place.
CBS News Chicago asked pressed alderpeople for specifics on what police did that day that they think was wrong.
"I think the perimeter that was created for ICE agents to come in and out is a violation of the Welcoming City Ordinance. You're providing a pathway for ICE agents to come in, and to detain and deport," Ald. Jessie Fuentes (26th) said.
Much of the hearing focused on which police oversight agency will take a deeper look at CPD's actions that day.
As of Tuesday, none of the three city agencies that oversee police conduct are looking into the events of that day. The Civilian Office of Police Accountability said they began to look into it, but the incident didn't fall under their jurisdiction. The Police Bureau of Internal Affairs could start an investigation, but has not.
Chicago Inspector General Deborah Witzburg promised, if neither of those two agenies look more closely into police actions that day, her office will.
