Aurora Mayor Confirms ICE Sightings, 'Multiple Snatchings Of Community Members'

AURORA, IL — U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers were reported Thursday in Aurora, prompting protests and large gatherings from residents.

Mayor John Laesch confirmed the sightings in a statement Friday, caling them the "unconstitutional deployment of Federal officers [that] resulted in multiple snatchings of community members, targeting, specifically, our City's strong and diverse Hispanic population."

Laesch said he joined locals who gathered Thursday afternoon to protest ICE's "snatchings," as he referred to the office's primary responsibility of detaining and deporting unauthorized immigrants, gang members and people who violate immigration laws, according to its website.

"I marched with community members from downtown Aurora to the site of one of the ICE snatchings to show my support for those whose lives have tragically been affected by these raids," he wrote in a statement Friday afternoon. "As your Mayor, I am here for you, and I want you [to] know that you are not alone."

RELATED: Judge Blocks National Guard Deployment In IL, More Protesters Arrested At ICE Facility

Earlier in the day Thursday, another crowd gathered around federal officers near New York Street and North Madison Street. Tensions rose, and officers took one man into custody to "prevent further violence or property damage" after he broke the window of a moving car, Patch reported.

Later in the evening, at about 9:45 p.m., Aurora police reported another "disturbance" involving a large crowd in the same area. Laesch said police shut down the protest due to those gathered driving recklessly, blocking streets and walking in the road.

Levicki told Patch that while he could not speak to the participants being the same, "the crowd that created the disturbance in the evening appeared to be reacting to the situation with ICE/[Homeland Security Investigations] that happened earlier in the day."

"The planned protest at 3 p.m. at City Hall was just that, a protest," he said. "The one in the morning was people mad and acting out of anger that federal agents were in town. What happened at night was more of a reaction to the whole day."

RELATED: 'Tensions Escalate,' Man Breaks Car Window As Crowd Gathers Around Federal Officers: Aurora Police

The Aurora Police Department said Thursday it "respects the rights of all people to exercise their First Amendment rights and reminds everyone of the importance of doing so peacefully and with respect for the safety of others." In his statement in response to ICE activities in Aurora, Laesch echoed the sentiment, saying, "We are here to both denounce and fight against any form of fascism, militarization, and hate."

Read the mayor's full statement:

On Thursday, October 9, the City of Aurora was alerted to a number of ICE sightings throughout the area, inciting panic and fear among residents. This unconstitutional deployment of Federal officers resulted in multiple snatchings of community members, targeting, specifically, our City’s strong and diverse Hispanic population.

As Mayor, I am committed to fighting for our residents against racism and fascism. I utterly condemn the wrongful use of Federal funds to violate the civil rights of our residents. This overarching power grab by the Presidential administration is one that is rooted in intimidation and racial profiling, and I vigorously oppose this in our community.

Our residents continue to remain my top priority. The City of Aurora had previously refrained from putting out a statement about immigration enforcement activities to protect our most vulnerable residents from being targeted. The large presence of ICE officials and deputized bounty hunters in our community, though, has demanded a public response. Yesterday, I marched with community members from downtown Aurora to the site of one of the ICE snatchings to show my support for those whose lives have tragically been affected by these raids. As your Mayor, I am here for you, and I want you know that you are not alone. The Mayor’s Office is actively working with elected officials at the local, state, and federal level to put together citizen-led patrols that bring awareness to ICE activity, plus coordinating conversations with the families of residents who are detained.

It is also important to note that the Aurora Police Department has not cooperated nor coordinated with immigration enforcement officials, abiding by the Illinois TRUST Act. Despite claims that APD assisted ICE officials in the detention of a resident yesterday, body camera footage clearly shows the opposite. APD officers are not permitted to stop, arrest, search, or detain individuals solely based on their citizenship or immigration status. Our public safety personnel have one mission: to protect and serve the citizens of Aurora. This will not change, even with the enhanced presence of ICE in our community.

I would like to call on residents to continue to exercise your First Amendment right to peacefully protest. Yesterday, we witnessed a resident breaking the window of a moving vehicle, resulting in an arrest to prevent further violence or property damage. Additionally, during a large protest on East New York Street and North Madison Street, protesters put themselves and the public in danger by walking in the roadway, blocking streets, and driving recklessly. These actions required APD to shut the protest down. There were no arrests, no injuries, no property damage, and no tear gas deployed.

To better coordinate with City officials to plan a protest, please visit www.aurora.il.us/MarchApplication. If you plan on protesting, please do so with respect for the safety of others in our community.

Please know that I will never stop working to protect each and every one of our residents. We have your back, and we are here to both denounce and fight against any form of fascism, militarization, and hate.

Mayor John Laesch