An arrest by the Indiana State Police early Friday morning wasn’t a Homeland Security action despite initial confusion that it was, according to the ISP.
The Illinois State Police asked the ISP to assist with the arrest of Miguel A. Rodriguez, 45, of East Chicago, for his alleged involvement in a recent interstate shooting, ISP spokesman Sgt. Glen Fifield said in a release Friday afternoon. Rodriguez, who has a history of armed violence, had a warrant out for him for aggravated discharge of a firearm in Cook County, Illinois, he said.
ISP’s SWAT Team, along with marked and unmarked ISP vehicles, set up staging at 7 a.m. in the East Chicago Police Station’s west lot, according to a statement East Chicago Police Chief Jose Rivera released on the department’s social media page.
After seeing the staging, Rivera contacted ISP State headquarters; the ISP sergeant to whom he spoke said that “ISP personnel were conducting an operation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in our area” and that “their activities would continue through the weekend with commercial truck enforcement,” at which point Rivera alerted city leadership, he said.
“It’s common practice for outside law enforcement agencies to notify local departments of major operations within city limits. Unfortunately, this is the second time Indiana State Police and Immigration & Customs Enforcement Agents did not inform us of a major operation in our city,” Rivera said. “Though they are not required to by law, it is courtesy to notify department leadership that you’re (sic) agency is conducting an investigation in their city. These advance notifications prevent misinformation from being spread and ensures (sic) transparency.”
That wasn’t true, Fifield said.
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“(Rodriguez) has a history of armed violence, and it was determined that SWAT would be used to make the apprehension,” he said in the release. “To dispel false information that is being shared by local political leaders on social media, this was NOT an assist to Homeland Security, ICE, or any other federal agency. This was done at the request of the Illinois State Police to take their suspect into custody.”
East Chicago Councilman Robert Garcia, D-5, posted a meme-style picture on social media of two men wearing olive-drab clothing; one was getting stuff out of a small white SUV, while the other was talking to a man getting something out of the trunk of a second white SUV. The caption to the picture reads, “Heads up!!! ICE is setting up in EC … Spotted at ECPD parking lot.”
Rivera reiterated in his statement that the East Chicago Police are neither participating nor assisting with anything immigration-related and that “the presence of ISP or ICE vehicles near our facilities does not indicate coordination, cooperation or endorsement by our department.
“Our west parking lot and surrounding streets are open to all law enforcement and government vehicles, as they are public spaces,” Rivera said. “We remain firmly committed to maintaining the trust of our residents, safeguarding the rights of all individuals in our community, and ensuring transparency in our policing practices.
“If residents have any further questions or concerns regarding this incident you may contact the Indiana State Police for more details.”
Rodriguez is currently at the Lake County Jail pending extradition to Cook County, Fifield said.
Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.