East Chicago Police officers won’t involve themselves in ICE activities in the city, but officials are imploring residents to not instigate or accelerate volatile situations.
East Chicago Police confirmed that ICE agents were set up in the publicly accessible portion of the department’s parking lot after the mayor’s office saw an online video showing ICE agents conducting an arrest Thursday afternoon, Mayor Anthony Copeland said in a Thursday evening social media post. Early Thursday, ICE agents attempted to establish a staging area at the Hammond Police Department, but Hammond city officials told them to leave. Like Hammond, East Chicago’s administrators weren’t alerted to their presence or plans, he said.
“(Thursday) will be remembered as the day that tested my resolve,” Copeland said. “We want to be clear: The East Chicago Police Department is not involved in any operations with ICE. We have not coordinated, supported, or participated in any immigration enforcement actions, and no information has been shared with ICE regarding such matters. Our department’s parking facility is open to the public and may occasionally be used by other law enforcement entities. However, their presence does not indicate cooperation or endorsement.”
While Copeland understands that federal agencies aren’t required to inform municipalities when they’re in the area, the police department’s duty is to its residents. East Chicago Police Chief Jose Rivera agreed.
“We remain committed to protecting the rights and safety of all East Chicago residents. Our department is here to serve and support the community — not to participate in immigration enforcement,” Rivera said.
The city has scheduled a protest for 1 p.m. Saturday at City Hall, Copeland said, adding that the city “fully supports the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of speech” and will have police there to protect those attending. He cautioned, however, that residents “remain calm and not engage with ICE agents, either verbally or physically.”
“There will be many who will foolishly inform you that the city is empowered to take action against ICE; this is not only false, but it is dangerous misinformation,” Copeland said.
Gary Mayor Eddie Melton acknowledged the fear that residents are feeling in a statement released Friday, but encouraged them to stay calm, prioritize their safety, and be informed of their rights.
“The presence of federal ICE agents in our region is unsettling and causes significant concern within our community,” Melton said in a statement on Facebook. “I want to be unequivocally clear: my administration does not support the efforts or condone the actions of ICE raids that target our friends, family, and neighbors because of their race and ethnicity.”
Melton said the local police department is limited in what they can do.
“While the Gary Police Department cannot legally interfere with the operations of a federal agency, our commitment remains to the safety and civil rights of every person who calls Gary home,” the statement read. “Our police officers are here to protect all residents and enforce local laws, and they will continue to serve our community with dignity and respect for all people.”
Indiana Governor Mike Braun, shortly after he took office in January, signed an executive order requiring the state’s law enforcement agencies to sign immigration-enforcement agreements with the Department of Homeland Security, the Post-Tribune previously reported. The federal agency now has agreements with the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, Indiana State Police, Indiana Department of Correction, in addition to the Indiana National Guard.
The Indiana Department of Homeland Security has a 287(g) agreement allowing it to make arrests, issue legal detainers, hold immigrants in custody and operate in a joint ICE task force. Indiana State Police “have a similar agreement,” Braun said in the summer.
The executive order, however, stops short of requiring local municipalities to do the same, saying instead that he “requests and encourages the local law enforcement officers and agencies of the State of lndiana’s political subdivisions to fully cooperate with ICE and to enter into agreements under 8 U.S.C. 1357(g) with the United States Government, as found necessary and appropriate.
Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.