Federal immigration officials arrested a person Thursday without presenting a warrant or identifying themselves at a Cook County courthouse, according to a coalition of advocates for immigrants and refugees.
A two-minute video shows two people in plainclothes, who advocates say are agents with U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement, surround a man and hold onto his arm, at the Maywood Courthouse.
The two never appeared to have shown a warrant or identify themselves during the video, which was shared by the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights.
“This incident is an escalation by the federal government, and is yet another example of ICE denying immigrants their constitutional rights to due process,” ICIRR said in a statement.
“ICE presence inside county courthouses will only deter immigrants from contesting cases brought against them and from pursuing hearings and seeking justice. Appearing in court and following the laws of the state of Illinois could put noncitizens at risk and force them to make impossible decisions.”
ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment late Thursday.
According to interim Department of Homeland Security guidance issued in January, ICE is allowed to conduct immigration enforcement “in or near” courthouses “when they have credible information that leads them to believe” the person they are looking to arrest will be present at the specific location.
The incident follows other instances in the Chicago area in which ICE agents detained people without warrants, and Chicago attorneys have argued in federal court that those arrests are in violation of the Fourth Amendment. Last month, two Pilsen residents were arrested under similar circumstances.