Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot launches 'ICE Accountability Project'

Lori Lightfoot launches ICE Accountability Project to document alleged agent abuses

Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot unveiled a new public reporting platform aimed at documenting and investigating alleged misconduct by federal immigration agents in Chicago, with the goal of holding those who violate residents’ rights accountable.

CHICAGO - Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has unveiled a new initiative aimed at documenting and centralizing information about federal immigration enforcement actions following "Operation Midway Blitz" and a deadly shooting in Minneapolis this week.

What we know:

Lightfoot launched what she calls the "ICE Accountability Project" during a news conference Thursday morning, telling everyone that there is no reason to tolerate the government terrorizing communities.

Former Chicago mayor launches 'ICE Accountability Project'

Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has launched a new project aimed at holding ICE accountable.

The independent initiative, hosted at ReportICEnow.com, is designed to create a centralized archive of alleged criminal or reckless actions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection agents across the Chicago area. Lightfoot says information about these incidents already exists but is scattered, making it difficult for the public to access and understand.

The project comes as federal immigration enforcement tactics face renewed scrutiny following the fatal shooting of a woman by an ICE agent in Minneapolis on Wednesday. That incident has sparked protests and calls for accountability in both Minnesota and Chicago.

Local perspective:

Chicago has also seen its own ICE-involved shootings in recent months.

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent. (Photo by Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images)

In October, a federal agent shot 31-year-old Marimar Martinez in Brighton Park after she was accused of trying to ram her car into an agent’s vehicle. Charges against Martinez and her passenger were later dropped.

In September, a federal agent shot and killed 38-year-old Silverio Villegas Gonzalez in Franklin Park during an attempted arrest. Lightfoot says people have already reached out with information on both of those shootings.

Lightfoot said she has worked with federal agents and most respect the constitution and recognize federal laws. She said this project "was focused on those federal immigration agents who cross the line, who violate residents rights, and believe they are above the law."

"I want to focus on what has inspired me and given me hope and that is the courage we have seen by every day Chicagoans, people who put themselves at risk and stepped into the breach to help their neighbors," Lightfoot said. "They have used whistles, formed safety brigades, taken to social media and text chains. People have protested peacefully."

The site is focused on incidents in Chicago but the platform is "built to scale up" and Lightfoot is hoping it will be replicated in other cities.

Anyone can upload video and pictures. The first level of review confirms the facts, date, time, and location of an incident. The second review is by trained investigators who will verify that the comment is legitimate before it is released to the public.

You will have to give your identity, Lightfoot says, in anticipation of people who will want to try to trick them, but identities will not be divulged barring a court order.

She said the site is funded by generous donors but would not elaborate.

It’s not clear exactly how the information will translate into action against federal agents. Lightfoot is hopeful that it could lead to prosecutions.
All reports will be reviewed and verified before they are released to the public.

What they're saying:

Lightfoot released a statement following the official launch of reportICEnow.com.

"Since September 8, we have watched as ICE and other federal immigration agents have marauded through our streets, in which they committed a homicide, shot and seriously injured another individual, caused serious bodily injury to others, and destroyed personal property. As well documented in federal court cases, these same federal immigration agents have trampled on the rights of our neighbors who have engaged in peaceful protest or who are merely out in public living their lives," she said.

"The ICE Accountability Project is an independent body that will serve as a centralized depository for documenting dangerous overreach by the federal government. Residents can use this platform to document and view allegations of criminal and other serious misconduct on the part of these agents, and provide a forum to unmask those agents who have been involved in the most egregious conduct. A mask cannot shield them from accountability. This is a time and an opportunity for people of good will to step up."

"The Project will also serve as a communication and information-sharing vehicle among members of the public, journalists, advocates, and anyone concerned about the harms caused by aggressive and unprecedented federal immigration enforcement tactics. The ICE Accountability Project is particularly focused on supporting smaller jurisdictions in Chicagoland that lack the resources and expertise to investigate alleged abuses, the platform is designed to be scalable and usable wherever similar harms are occurring."