Elgin residents air immigration concerns to police
It was standing room only in Elgin when Spanish-speaking residents packed a police community meeting and peppered officers with questions about immigration.
People are living with the anxiety that Immigrations and Customs Enforcement raids will target them or their loved ones any day, Isilda Castro said. "You see so much about this in the news that people are getting scared," she said.
Rumors about raids fly on Facebook, her cousin Luisa Fernandez added. "It's really disconcerting for people."
More than 300 people attended the Tuesday night meeting at Iglesia Carismatica Puerta De Sion in downtown Elgin, where several residents asked whether police inform ICE when immigrants are arrested.
Elgin police do that only for gang members, sex offenders and felons, Police Chief Jeff Swoboda said, his words translated by officers who speak Spanish. Last year, that amounted to 13 people out of more than 3,500 arrests.
However, whenever someone is arrested, fingerprints are entered into a database that automatically alerts federal agencies, including ICE. Elgin police do comply with ICE requests to hold individuals until immigration officers can pick them up, but often people have been processed and released by the time requests are received.
Attorney Shirley Sadjadi, who was in the audience, encouraged immigrants to get driver's licenses to avoid arrest if they are behind the wheel.
Residents also asked whether they are required to answer the door when police or ICE come knocking. People have a right to say "no" unless officers have a warrant, Swoboda said.
Police told residents to be leery of people impersonating ICE and police officers, saying they can call the police department if they want Elgin cops to be present when they open their door.
One man said Spanish-speaking residents can hesitate to call 911 if they can't properly express themselves in English. Some 911 operators speak Spanish, and police use a translation service for emergency calls so everyone can communicate, Sgt. Eric Echevarria said.
One man asked whether police would inform the community via Facebook about any ICE raids in Elgin. Swoboda said police will release information about large-scale sweeps, but only when they are over. Police are not aware of any such events so far in Elgin, he added.
Someone asked whether Elgin would consider becoming a "sanctuary city" that refuses to hand over immigrants for deportation. That's up to the city council, not police.
Amanda Walters, ICE community relations specialist, attended as an observer and was asked a few questions by the audience, such as whether ICE uses racial profiling, and how immigration officers determine the citizenship of residents and U.S. citizens. Walters declined to give specific answers.
One man asked Walters about an immigration executive order by President Donald Trump that sparked concerns that all undocumented immigrants, not just criminals, were being targeted for deportation. "ICE still prioritizes based on public safety, based on the needs of the community," she said.
Officer Lisandro Ramirez said he understands residents' concerns because he, too, has relatives who are undocumented immigrants. "We work for the Elgin community," he said.
Police said they plan more Spanish-language community meetings, which resident Francisco Calderon said was a great idea. "There was a lot of good information," Calderon said.