Man Apprehended by Federal Agents While Reporting Incident at Bolingbrook Police Station

In Bolingbrook, Illinois, concerned community members gathered at the local police station, holding a candlelight vigil after a man was apprehended in the station’s lobby earlier on Tuesday. The arrest, carried out by federal agents, has raised questions among residents.

“We are all part of this community, and we will stand by each other,” expressed one woman at the gathering, reflecting the collective sentiment of solidarity among attendees.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

The incident unfolded around 7:45 a.m., according to Christian Ramirez, whose cousin was approached while warming up his pickup truck outside his home on Hywood Lane. Ramirez recounted his cousin’s experience, stating, “He was terrified and confused, saying, ‘I don’t know what’s happening. These people approached me while I was in my car. They didn’t identify themselves as ICE agents or bounty hunters. They were just aggressive, trying to pull me out of my vehicle.'”

Bolingbrook police reported that federal agents informed them they were executing a specific immigration enforcement operation. The agents, acting independently of local law enforcement, encountered resistance when a 40-year-old man refused to leave his vehicle. The man reportedly drove across a grassy area before deliberately crashing into an agent’s vehicle in a bid to escape.

Ramirez mentioned that his cousin called him during the incident, seeking help and understanding of the situation.

Ramirez says his cousin called him from the road.

“I said, ‘Go to the police station. Get out of the car. Walk inside, and tell them what’s happening, that you have this group of guys that are trying to get you out of your vehicle, that you don’t know who they are,’” Ramirez said.

Ramirez says he stayed on the phone as his cousin entered the lobby. Police say officers were dispatched to meet him, but by the time they arrived, federal agents had arrested him.

Democratic Illinois state Rep. Dagmara Avelar, who represents the southwest suburbs, is now calling for the release of the police lobby video.

“What happens today is deeply troubling, and I am waiting to hear more about what actually happened in the lobby of the police department,” Avelar said.

Bolingbrook police said their involvement was filing a report of criminal damage to property for the alleged intentional crash on Hywood Lane.

Illinois’ TRUST Act prohibits local police from aiding in federal immigration enforcement.

However, ABC7 Chief Legal Analyst Gil Soffer with Katten Law said, “It doesn’t require police to interfere with the operations of ICE. It just requires them not to assist ICE, and that’s the difference between giving information, turning somebody over, and blocking access.”

Ramirez says his cousin, who ABC7 is not naming because it is unclear if he has been charged, is undocumented but has lived here for a quarter of a century and works in construction. The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately provide a statement about the incident to ABC7.