Dead rat, derogatory letter left at Chicago alderman's office amid rising immigration tensions

Dead rat, derogatory letter left at Chicago alderman's office amid rising immigration tensions

A dead rat and a threatening note were left at a Chicago alderman?s office.

CHICAGO - A dead rat and a derogatory note were found Sunday night outside the office of Chicago Ald. Andre Vasquez, according to police and the alderman.

What we know:

Chicago police said officers responded around 7:30 p.m. to a call in the 5600 block of North Western Avenue.

There, they found a deceased rat left on the doorstep of Vasquez’s 40th Ward office along with a handwritten letter containing derogatory statements.

Dead rat placed outside North Side alderman's office with derogatory letter directed at undocumented immigrants | Provided

Police said no arrests have been made and Area Three detectives are investigating.

Dig deeper:

In a statement, Vasquez said the note is unacceptable and that it included a threatening message taped to the office door that referred to undocumented immigrants as "vermin" and to support ICE.

"In this current political climate, we take these threats seriously, and are working with the Chicago Police Department to investigate. In the meantime, the 40th Ward Office will remain open. We are and will always be steadfast in our commitment to serving 40th Ward neighbors and supporting the rights of the immigrant community," he said.

Vasquez said the threat did not seem directly aimed at him but targeted a group of people. He urged police to call the incident a hate crime.

The backstory:

The discovery comes amid heightened tensions surrounding federal immigration enforcement.

The Department of Homeland Security launched "Operation Midway Blitz" last week, aimed at targeting undocumented immigrants with criminal records in the Chicago area.

On Friday, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shot and killed a person during a vehicle stop in west suburban Franklin Park.