Palatine council hears proposal for welcoming ordinance, chief explains officer’s encounter with ICE
As Palatine residents packed village hall Monday to express frustration with ICE activities in their community, one of them proposed a village welcoming ordinance.
Resident Justin O’Rourke proposed an ordinance that would prevent village property and resources from being used for federal immigration enforcement.
It would also prevent collecting, reporting and sharing information regarding immigration status with federal agencies unless required by law.
In addition, it would ensure all residents could access village services regardless of immigration status.
“Last week's incident puts the village in a position where they have to restore trust,” O’Rourke said, referring to an Oct. 27 occurrence in the 1100 block of East Dundee Road that sparked a protest the following day at the police station.
Police Chief William Nord explained that officers responded to a disturbance at approximately 11:49 p.m. and found three ICE agents struggling to arrest a suspect. A female agent was kneeling on the man's back with her hand on his neck while another agent was partially on the man’s upper torso and tried to control his arm.
The agents, he said, weren't communicating or issuing commands. A large, agitated crowd had gathered, yelling at the agents.
The officer determined the agents no longer had control of the situation and couldn't ensure a safe environment. Observing that the man had cuts and abrasions and appeared to be breathing with difficulty, the officer believed he needed to intervene to prevent serious injury. He instructed the man in Spanish to stop resisting and helped secure his arm so the agents could complete the arrest.
“The agents eventually handcuffed the individual, stood him up and placed him in their vehicle,” Nord said. “Once the individual was safely secured in the agent's vehicle, the officer obtained the agents’ name and badge numbers.”
Nord said the TRUST Act does not prevent law enforcement from doing what they have to do to maintain peace and ensure public safety.
However, several people in the crowd told the village council the presence of ICE agents in their community made them feel unsafe.
“In the last couple of weeks, our community has been living in fear. We feel like our voices are being silenced, and there’s little empathy and support,” Palatine resident Laura Hernandez said of the immigrant community. “We have the same rights as everybody else. I also want to remind you that immigrants pay taxes.”