Residents want Mount Prospect to restrict ICE from village-owned properties

Days after federal immigration agents swarmed a Mount Prospect neighborhood looking for someone who had escaped their custody, residents took their concerns about future enforcement efforts to village hall.

At Tuesday’s village board meeting, several residents urged officials to restrict federal agents’ access to village-owned properties, like several surrounding communities have done or are in the process of doing.

“This kind of unaccountable militarized presence doesn’t just target immigrants, but it creates fear within our entire community,” said Dawn Ardito, a 25-year resident. “We are asking the village take clear, concrete steps to protect our community from civil immigration enforcement actions being taken on village property.”

Village officials did not respond to the requests during the meeting.

Resident Rick Porter said federal agents lied to him and his neighbors about their presence near Owen Park Oct. 19. They told Porter they were looking for a “cartel member,” while other neighbors were told it was a murder suspect or sex offender, he said.

“Actually, they had yanked a gas station clerk from his workplace and that person was able to get away from them,” Porter said. “All of that, the masked and unidentified agents, abducting a man at work without a warrant, lying to neighbors about why they were there, goes against everything this community and country should stand for.”

In an email to a resident concerned about the Oct. 19 incident, Mount Prospect Police Chief Michael Eterno called the situation “less than ideal.” He noted immigration officials had not warned village officials nor police about any enforcement actions taking place that day.

“I can tell you our officers were just as surprised by Sunday’s events as our residents were,” he wrote. “As you can imagine, this lack of communication can lead to confusion and is extremely frustrating for everyone involved, including local law enforcement. I truly wish I had more information to share, however I don’t.”

Eterno said police received multiple calls about the federal agents as well as residents who spotted the man they were trying to arrest. He added officers’ “options are limited” when federal agents are conducting immigration enforcement activities.

But residents at Tuesday’s meeting suggested more could be done to ensure citizens aren’t being harassed, targeted or arrested.

“We deserve better. We’re asking for better,” said Pam Nelson, a 40-year resident.

Trustee Vince Dante said the board hasn’t had a chance to discuss the issue with village attorneys.

“This is the first time we’ve had citizens come to the board about this issue,” he said.

Towns like Chicago, Evanston and Carpentersville as well as Cook, Lake and Will counties have passed measures that ban federal immigration agents from using public property for staging areas, processing locations or bases of operations. Elgin and Batavia also are considering such initiatives.