Last updated Sept. 12 at 4:57 p.m.
Department of Homeland Security agents were present in Evanston Wednesday, according to Evanston Police Department Cmdr. Scott Sophier.
He said EPD Chief Schenita Stewart spoke with a DHS representative who said the agents were conducting a criminal investigation.
The agents arrested an individual near the intersection of Church Street and Brown Avenue, the city wrote in a statement Friday.
EPD officers were not involved in the arrest nor were they present at the time, the statement read.
“Chief Stewart advised the representative that the Evanston Police Department will not assist in any matters related to civil immigration, and that by law, we also understand that we cannot and will not interfere with the work of federal officers,” Sophier said.
The agents are not confirmed to be Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, Sophier said, but ICE is housed in DHS.
EPD has no other information at this time, he said.
The agents were seen near Evanston Township High School. However, there was no activity by the agents on school grounds, a Wednesday Facebook post by ETHS stated.
“There has been no ICE activity on school grounds,” the post read. “In the event of any verified activity by federal agencies on campus, ETHS will communicate directly through our official channels.”
The presence of DHS agents comes shortly after the city announced that federal immigration agents are expected in Evanston in the “coming days” on Monday.
DHS did not respond to a request for comment.
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