ICE agents detain U.S. citizen in Evanston, leaving him injured

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained a man in an Evanston suburb on Sunday, later discovering he was a U.S. citizen and not the individual they were seeking. Police responding to a call about a dispute found the man on the ground with injuries to his head, neck and teeth, and called an ambulance.

Witnesses said the agents appeared to be attempting a fugitive investigation. An officer who arrived later located two SUVs and spoke with a person identifying himself as a federal agent wearing a plain-clothes vest marked “POLICE.”

"The individual was given lawful commands but was not cooperative and refused to identify himself," a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told CNN. "ICE officers relied on their training and later left the scene without further incident once the individual finally identified himself."

Surveillance video released to the media shows two agents grappling with the man before he is pulled to the ground. Bystanders, some recording, gathered nearby. An officer noted blood on an agent’s hands, which the agent said resulted from an injury he sustained while attempting the detention; the agent declined medical treatment.

Five federal agents were operating in separate vehicles in the area. After confirming the man’s citizenship, police contacted him at a hospital and documented his injuries. The DHS statement said the man refused assistance from ICE agents but did not address the injuries.

Evanston police continue to investigate, preserving body-camera footage and interviewing witnesses. The incident follows the first year of “Operation Midway Blitz,” a federal immigration enforcement initiative in Chicago and surrounding communities.