‘Travesty’: Elgin mayor blasts federal agents’ actions against protesters

Elgin Mayor David Kaptain sharply criticized federal immigration agents after they used tear gas and pepper spray on protesters who gathered outside a city apartment complex during a lengthy standoff Saturday morning.

“It discourages me. It disgusts me,” Kaptain said in a video posted late Saturday on city social media accounts.

“This city was founded on its diversity and self respect and the mutual respect between our residents,” he continued. “ICE people have not shown that respect to this community, and that really angers me.”

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson could not be reached for comment Sunday.

The protests began at about 10 a.m. on the 1600 block of Maple Lane as federal agents pursued a man into an apartment complex. Agents could be seen escorting the man from the complex around 3 p.m.

Agents deployed tear gas, pepper spray and other nonlethal munitions against the crowd, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

Kaptain issued a call for the community to come together in the wake of Saturday’s events.

“We will work our way through this problem,” he said. “We'll develop and continue to have respect for each other. As this problem resolves itself, as I'm certain it will, as we have many times in the past, the community has worked together to make us a better city, and this will be a better city when we're finished, when this whole travesty that's going on in this country is resolved.”

City council member Tish Powell also condemned federal agents’ actions.

“These agents have to be held accountable when they are using these aggressive tactics on citizens,” she said.

According to Elgin police, a federal officer contacted the department to report that agents conducting enforcement operations were involved in a traffic crash at about 9:15 a.m. in the 1600 block of West Highland Avenue. Officers prepared a report on the crash and cleared the scene, police said.

At approximately 10:01 a.m., callers reported to police that suspicious masked individuals claiming to have a warrant were on the 1600 block of Maple Lane, police said. Officers responded, determined the individuals were federal agents and left the area, according to police.

Police said they were called again about 12:22 p.m. with reports of shots fired on Maple Lane. Officers responded and determined that federal agents had dispersed chemical irritants, police said. Officers then assisted the Elgin Fire Department in providing medical treatment to seven people exposed to the chemicals, officials said.

Elgin resident Pedro Hernandez said he was nearly struck in the eye by a pepper ball and was hit by tear gas.

“I honestly thought I was dying because I could not breathe through my nose, and then I could not breathe through my mouth and my throat,” he said. “I was choking.”

Protester Monica Fredrick said she was shot at with the rubber pellets.

“The officer shot four times at my feet, and the fourth one actually ended up hitting the back of my leg, leaving me a good size bruise,” she said.

“I can't let my kids walk home now, I feel like our community is not safe,” she added.

Elgin police said over social media that officers it will continue to respond to calls for service and abide by the Illinois TRUST Act, which prevents officers from assisting in civil immigration enforcement.