Border Patrol agents step up enforcement efforts in Lake County with raids at car washes, nurseries

U.S. Border Patrol agents targeted several Lake County businesses Friday as multiple immigration enforcement activities were reported.

Adrian Martinez, sales manager at Elite Growers in Ingleside, said agents arrived unannounced at the commercial nursery at around 8:30 a.m.

“They pulled in and one guy immediately jumped out of a vehicle and ran toward an employee, and the SUV pulled up next to a customer who was here and they immediately started questioning him,” Martinez said.

He said two other SUVs waited off site at the entrance to the business.

“I kept asking them to leave because they were on private property and they didn’t have a judicial warrant,” Martinez said.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials did not respond to questions about the increased enforcement efforts Friday in the suburbs.

Martinez, who recorded cellphone video of the encounter, said he didn’t let his employee provide them with any information. He added the customer provided his identification only after agents “threatened to smash his window.”

Those were the only two individuals agents requested identification from, Martinez said. In the video, Martinez asks the agents why they aren’t asking for his identification?

“Am I not dark enough to be asked for I.D.?” Martinez asks one of four unidentified masked agents seen in the video.

Agents did not take either man into custody and left after about 30 minutes, Martinez said.

Martinez spoke with operators at three other nurseries in Lake County Friday who reported interactions with federal agents as well.

“We’ve been talking about this happening since January when Trump took office,” he said. “Luckily I was able to get them out of here without taking anybody.”

In Wauconda, at least two men were arrested after federal agents raided a car wash. The raid was witnessed by Victoria Salazar, who was walking by as the agents arrived in several SUVs.

“They had their faces covered and I knew exactly what was happening,” she said. “I really, really held my tongue and held my feelings in. It really breaks my heart.”

She took photos of a pregnant car wash employee watching as other employees were arrested. She said the whole operation took about five minutes.