Federal agents’ vehicles appeared on the street in Evanston Wednesday morning, and the police chief contacted Evanston City Council members saying the agents were carrying out a criminal warrant, according to an email obtained by Pioneer Press.
Chief Schenita Stewart said Homeland Security notified the police department that federal agents were in the area of Church Street and Brown Avenue. A police commander arrived but did not see the vehicles at that time, she said.
Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss announced Monday that a state of Illinois official had told him that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement would be coming to the suburb for a crackdown in coming days.
Chief Stewart wrote that federal agents told the Evanston Police Department they would notify them of future operations in Evanston.
The federal vehicles “received a parking citation from Parking Enforcement,” she wrote, but Deputy City Manager Carina E. Sanchez said Thursday that law enforcement officers associated with the federal vehicles identified themselves as law enforcement to an Evanston parking enforcement employee, and consequently no parking citation was given.
In Evanston, parking tickets are written by a separate city division and not the police department, according to Police Commander Scott Sophier.
A resident had reported suspicious vehicles in the area, including a blue Honda SUV, black Ford SUV and a black Jeep SUV.
Pioneer Press obtained the police chief’s email via the Freedom of Information Act.
“A representative from Homeland Security advised they were in Evanston conducting an investigation,” Sophier wrote Wednesday afternoon. “Chief Stewart advised their representative that Evanston Police will not assist with any matters related to civil immigration and that our personnel will not interfere with the work of federal officers. No further information was provided to us, and no updates since that initial contact.”
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He added that the department cannot confirm the number of agents in Evanston, or which agency they work for.Evanston police were not informed of any arrests on Wednesday, and had no further contact with the federal agents, Sophier said. EPD did not assist in any operations or investigation, he added.
The police department notified an Evanston Township High School official of the incident, according to Sophier.
Stewart asked the Council to “remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to EPD.”