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ICE arrests 2 people in separate East Chicago incidents
ICE activity was reported in East Chicago on Monday after agents arrested two people in separate incidents.
EAST CHICAGO, Ind. - Witnesses say at least two people were arrested by federal immigration agents Monday morning in East Chicago, with one detention unfolding in front of people getting coffee and another happening near an elementary school on the first day of classes.
ICE agents arrest two in East Chicago
The backstory:
The first incident happened around 7 a.m. at the Dunkin' on Indianapolis Boulevard. Miranda Anderson and Dustin Schultz were in the drive-thru when Anderson said an unmarked vehicle blocked them in and several other vehicles arrived. Anderson said she watched as agents surrounded a man who appeared to be trying to run.
"This young man just getting a coffee it looked like and he was standing there and he was trying to run," said Anderson.
She said agents pointed a Taser at the man before tackling him, handcuffing him and putting him into a vehicle. Another witness, Gilbert Gonzales, said he saw the man being grabbed from behind and thrown to the ground.
"They just grabbed him from behind and bam threw him on the floor handcuffed him, threw him in the car," said Gonzales.
He said he did not know whether the man had legal status in the United States. The second reported arrest happened around the same time at a BP gas station a few blocks away. Witnesses tell Fox Chicago, two men had stopped at the gas station to get fuel and buy items inside when federal agents approached them. One of the men was detained, but we don't know about the other man.
The BP is directly across from Benjamin Harrison Elementary School. That location raised additional concern because Monday was the first day of school. City Councilman Robert Garcia said children, parents and school staff witnessed the activity near the gas station.
"You got a lot of kids and families taking their kids to school," said Garcia.
He said ICE activity has been occurring in East Chicago for about a year and a half. He said there were several reported pickups last year and that activity had slowed during the summer. Garcia previously introduced a resolution that would have prevented ICE from using city property. He said the City Council voted it down. Now, after Monday's incidents, Garcia believes the proposal could return.
"I think it might have new life," added Garcia.
He also said he is working with an immigration group to help families connect with attorneys and other resources.
What remains unclear:
Fox Chicago has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for information about Monday's arrests, including how many people were detained, their identities and the reason for the enforcement actions. That information had not been provided at the time of publication. It also has not been confirmed whether the people detained Monday were in the country illegally.
Garcia acknowledged that uncertainty.
"Nobody knows. That's the thing. Nobody knows."
Witnesses also expressed concerns about racial profiling, but those claims have not been independently established.
What's next:
The immediate focus is on identifying the people who were detained and determining where they were taken. Garcia said he is trying to get information from federal authorities, so families can be notified and connected with legal assistance. The East Chicago City Council could also revisit the proposal concerning ICE activity on city property following Monday's arrests.
Meanwhile, residents who witnessed the incidents say the activity has left some people fearful about going to work, taking their children to school or simply leaving their homes.
Anderson said she offered to help neighbors who are afraid to go outside by running errands or getting items from stores for them.
"East Chicago people shouldn't have to live in fear over this," said Anderson.
The Source: The information in this article was reported by FOX Chicago's Bret Buganski.