This is a developing story and will be updated accordingly. The last update was made at 6:07 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 7.
DeKALB – DeKalb Police Chief David Byrd confirmed United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity in DeKalb Tuesday.
“We have confirmed that there has been some ICE activity in the city of DeKalb,” Byrd said. “We found that out early this morning … We don’t know anything more than that.”
The confirmation comes after multiple reports of ICE agents spotted in and around DeKalb.
“I don’t know how large their operation is in DeKalb,” Byrd said to the Daily Chronicle. “There were several agents involved in the case near Walmart.”
Byrd also told the Daily Chronicle ICE did not share any arrest information with the DeKalb Police Department.
NIU declined to give a statement on the issue.
Students are encouraged to refer to NIU’s guidelines for what to do if encountering an ICE agent. Students are also urged to state Chief Strategy Officer Matt Streb as a point of contact.
“Inform the officer that you are not obstructing their process but need to contact Dr. Matt Streb, Chief University Strategist,” the University’s website says.
Immigration enforcement has ramped up in Illinois after President Donald Trump launched Operation Midway Blitz on Sept. 8, which has led to over 1,000 arrests according to the Department of Homeland Security.
ICE agents have also been spotted in Elgin and Rockford.
Trump also deployed 400 national guard troops to Chicago to curb crime, despite violent crime rates declining 21.6% this year according to an Aug. 25 press release from Mayor Brandon Johnson.
Illinois and the city of Chicago filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration Monday, asking a judge to block the Trump administration’s deployment of military troops to Chicago.
The lawsuit follows an incident over the weekend in which a woman was shot by a federal agent after allegedly following and boxing in Border Patrol vehicles.
