Two people were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers Tuesday morning in the Back of the Yards — less than a day after five other people were detained by the agency on the Southeast Side.
Around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, ICE officers pulled over a vehicle near 48th and Wolcott and took two males into custody, according to 15th Ward Ald. Ray Lopez.
The identities of the two were not immediately known. It was also unclear if they remained in custody as of Tuesday evening.
“We have no idea what’s happened to those two individuals,” Lopez said.
After the two were in custody, an ICE officer called 911, identified himself as a member of law enforcement and requested police assistance, according to Lopez.
Chicago Police First Deputy Police Supt. Anthony Riccio said it was the second time in as many days that the city was alerted to an incident involving ICE through a call to the city’s 911 emergency system by an officer requesting help.
“The officer identified himself as being part of Homeland Security. [He] said, ‘I have a car pulled over with two individuals. I have a warrant. I need some help,’” Riccio told reporters at City Hall.
“It came over, basically as an emergency. Another officer needing assistance. We do always respond. Our policy is very clear on assisting. The [CPD] officers assess the situation and they left. They didn’t take part in any way shape or form with detaining anybody, checking names or anything of that nature.”
Nevertheless, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she plans to “get the bottom of what precisely happened” in response to a call that “had the feel of distress.”
But she said, “We’ll be working with OEMC to tighten the protocols to make sure that, if there’s a call saying ‘Homeland Security’ that there are more questions asked before anybody is dispatched.”
Less than 24 hours earlier, ICE detained five employees of a pizza place on the Southeast Side, according to Lightfoot.
A representative for ICE did not respond to an inquiry Tuesday.
