Federal agents detain U.S. citizen in Evanston

Federal agents briefly detained and released a U.S. citizen on Sunday morning in Evanston on Howard Street east of Dodge Avenue, confirmed Evanston police chief Schenita Stewart. The incident occurred in the 1700 block of Howard Street around 9:50 a.m. after officers were dispatched following an report from an unknown caller about two males arguing and someone stating that an individual would be taken into custody. Police reported that they found an adult male on the ground with several people assisting him. The man had injuries to his head, neck, and teeth, and witnesses informed officers that individuals they believed were U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents had attempted to take him into custody. Mayor Daniel Biss stated on social media that federal agents briefly detained and then released the man, who was identified as a U.S. citizen. He was transported by ambulance and treated for minor injuries at St. Francis Hospital. A video posted on Facebook shows the end of the incident with agents driving off near El Pueblito Mexican Grill on Howard Street, including a man lying near the curb with at least two agents nearby. In response to the call, Stewart stated that an Evanston police officer encountered two SUVs near Dodge Avenue and Brummel Street, which included an individual in plain clothes and a vest marked 'POLICE' with federal law enforcement markings. The individual identified himself as a federal agent conducting a fugitive investigation and informed the officer that agents had attempted to identify an individual resembling a person they were seeking. According to the Evanston Police Department (EPD), the agents informed the officer that the individual was detained for fingerprinting and resisted detention after refusing to provide identification but was released after agents determined he was not the person they were seeking and learned he was a U.S. citizen. Police reported seeing blood on the agent’s hands, who told officers he was injured while attempting to handcuff the individual and declined medical treatment. The incident followed a report from the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) about federal agents sighting on the Chicago-Evanston border around 10 a.m. near the same intersection where the detainment occurred. This was the first confirmed presence of federal agents in Evanston in several months, although ICIRR had reported several sightings of federal agent vehicles in Skokie throughout the summer, including earlier in September. EPD stated that the agent later told Evanston police sergeants that five federal agents had been operating in the area using separate vehicles and indicated that the person they were seeking had addresses associated with Chicago and that there was a warrant for that person's arrest. The agent also mentioned that federal agents left the area after protesters began to gather due to fears of being attacked. EPD reported that both the responding officer and Stewart contacted the detained individual at St. Francis and documented his injuries. EPD continues to investigate the incident, conducting a video canvass, preserving available body-worn-camera and in-car video, and collecting photographs and video from witnesses and community members. The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Sunday night.