West Chicago, Illinois ICE arrests caught on video; District 33 schools spend day on soft lockdown
A state senator issued a warning on social media after reports of immigration arrests in West Chicago, Illinois started coming in Monday morning.
State Sen. Karina Villa (D- 25th District) posted several videos to her Facebook page Monday morning, including the community alert.
She said in the videos that immigration rights advocates and she began receiving reports of arrests by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents around the time children were leaving for school and their parents for work.
Villa said the community quickly deployed immigration rapid response teams to help.
"It's very important that, as allies, we show up for each other," Villa said in her video.
Lawmakers and community leaders said at least 13 people, including a minor, were detained from a van. Others, they said, were detained from a grocery store and an apartment complex.
Videos circulating in a West Chicago Facebook group show ICE officer smashing in a car window before pulling out the driver. Another angle shows the driver up against a black SUV as agents pat him down.
Another video shows a man being arrested on a sidewalk. Neighbors can be heard yelling at the agents they should be ashamed of themselves.
Another video appears to be shot by someone inside their home, looking on in fear as ICE agents circle their neighborhood.
Villa was seen in videos walking through neighborhoods, yelling at neighbors to stay in their homes and not open their doors.
She rallied with other state and local elected officials, along with local nonprofits helping immigrants, who are asking people to stand in solidarity with their community.
"Donald Trump is seeing this community come together and resist and speak up and speak out, that is why he is targeting our cities, our state, our communities," Villa said.
"My message is to the kids of West Chicago, there are a lot of grown-ups out here trying to protect you and we will do what we have to do to keep you safe and keep your parents safe because you are beloved in this community," said Molly Beck Dean with We Go Together for Kids.
School District 33 also issued a "secure and teach" safety protocol for their schools at about 8:30 a.m. in response to ICE activities in the area. Officials made the decision to implement secure and teach to reassure parents that their children are safe in school.
Instruction and activities continued as normal, but the outside doors are locked, the district said.
People became increasingly concerned as school was let out, as they said residents have been targeted at school drop-off and pick up. Tensions have been high in West Chicago all day as neighbors are terrified of what is still to come.
West Chicago is in DuPage County, a little over 30 miles west of Chicago.
ICE released a statement saying in part, "Operation Midway Blitz is continuing. We will update you when we publicly release arrest numbers."
They did not offer a comment specifically on the reports in West Chicago.
ICE released another statement Tuesday confirming it had executed "targeted enforcement arrests" in West Chicago Monday, and claimed one of those detained had a "history of violence and resisting arrest." The statement also criticized State Sen. Villa's actions.
"It is irresponsible and dangerous for any elected official to flagrantly encourage individuals to disregard the law and interfere with lawful operations that protect public safety," the statement said.