On Sunday morning in Evanston, a suburb of Chicago, a U.S. citizen was left bloodied after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents mistakenly identified him as a fugitive and attempted to handcuff him. The incident, which occurred just before 10 a.m., has prompted an investigation by the Evanston Police Department and sharp criticism from local leaders.
What happened
According to a police news release, five ICE agents in separate vehicles were conducting a targeted enforcement operation for a man with a Chicago address who had an outstanding arrest warrant. The agents encountered an individual who resembled the target and, after the man refused to provide identification, they tried to place handcuffs on him. The man later told police that his head, neck and teeth were injured.
When the agents realized the individual was a U.S. citizen and not the wanted fugitive, they released him. One officer on the scene observed blood on an agent’s hands. The agent claimed he was injured while attempting to handcuff the man and that the team left the area quickly because they feared a crowd of protesters.
Local response
Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss posted on X that the victim was taken to St. Francis Hospital for treatment of minor injuries and that the police department will continue to investigate the encounter. “We will remain vigilant about federal activities,” Biss wrote.
Illinois Representative Jan Schakowsky called the episode “disgusting and outraged,” adding that it reflects growing backlash against ICE’s presence in communities across the nation.
Eyewitness accounts
Ryan Garton, a 56‑year‑old resident who captured video of the event, described an agent kneeling on the man’s back and beating him while the man shouted, “I’m a citizen, leave me alone!” Garton said the man’s upper right eye socket and temple were swollen, and his face appeared scraped as if it had been ground into the sidewalk.
Michael Lipson, owner of a store across the street, reported seeing the agents wrestle the man to the ground and then scatter the man’s wallet cards and papers on the road before leaving.
Broader context
The incident comes as ICE reports a record number of arrests last month—nearly 51,000—fueling criticism of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement strategy. At least ten people have died in encounters with immigration agents during President Trump’s second term, including U.S. citizens shot in Minneapolis during the agency’s “Operation Metro Surge.”
Local officials and community members are calling for greater oversight of federal enforcement actions within Illinois, emphasizing the need to protect citizens’ rights while maintaining public safety.
Original reporting: Alexandria, VA News – WTOP News — read the source article.
