Immigration and Customs Enforcement vehicles were spotted in Urbana on Monday, according to Charlotte Alvarez, executive director of The Immigration Project. In an email to The Daily Illini, Alvarez wrote that there have been no confirmed reports or information indicating that any arrests occurred in connection with the sighting.
The Immigration Project is a non-profit organization that provides legal and social services like naturalization for permanent residents, removal defense, housing programs and educational presentations.
The organization could not provide further information about the sighting, and the Urbana Police Department has not yet responded to requests for comment.
If ICE is reported on campus, the University advises its employees to immediately refer the agent either to UIPD or the Office of University Counsel, depending on the agent’s request. There have not been any confirmed ICE sightings on campus.
According to the Illinois TRUST Act and the Illinois Way Forward Act, local law enforcement is prohibited from assisting ICE agents in their operations, including transferring individuals to ICE custody and providing access to jails and databases.
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The only exception to these regulations is if law enforcement has a federal criminal warrant or court order.
In April, ICE detained Fernando Lorenzo-Raymundo and Carlos Gomez at the Champaign County Courthouse. Since then, other claims of immigration enforcement in the community have circulated on social media; however, none were confirmed to be ICE activity.
Resources
Other local organizations like the New American Welcome Center, Immigrant Services of Champaign-Urbana, The Refugee Center and the Cunningham Children’s Home provide immigration-related services.
The University also offers resources for community members concerned about immigration enforcement, including an undocumented student liaison and consultations with an undocumented student support team. These services can be accessed through Open Illinois.
Emilia Mancero, senior in Media and spokesperson for the Illinois Coalition Assisting Undocumented Students Education, spoke with The DI in April about community concerns surrounding ICE agents in the area.
“Let’s think about the procedures we have, you guys all have rights,” Mancero said. “(Make) sure people know what they can and can’t do … that’s all just so important.”
ICE did not respond to a request for comment.
