ICE and Border Patrol continue to roam daily in the Lake County area, including making numerous arrests on Saturday in the Waukegan and North Chicago area, leading to a Hispanic event planned for Saturday being canceled.
Somos Lake County was set to be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Mundelein Community Center to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.
The Lake County Clerk’s Office, in collaboration with the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office, Mano a Mano Family Resource Center and Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Of The Lakes, made the “difficult decision” to cancel the event.
The organizations said the cancellation is due to the recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Border Patrol activity in Lake County.
The Illinois Secretary of State’s Mobile DMV Unit was still in Mundelein as planned.
Organizers said Somos Lake County was intended to bring “our beloved community together” to celebrate the vibrant Hispanic and Latino cultures that enrich Lake County.
“The recent ICE activity has created fear and uncertainty amongst many who call Lake County home. This type of enforcement disrupts the community’s sense of safety which is vital to a healthy civic life,” the organizers said in a statement.
“Masked federal agents operating in neighborhoods while children are in school and parents are working discourages community participation, weakens trust in local government, and undermines the values Somos Lake County intended to honor,” they added.
The organizations behind the event said they stand with every resident regardless of where they come from “during this painful time.”
“We remain committed to fostering a community where everyone feels safe, valued, and supported.”
Border Patrol and ICE have been roaming in Lake County daily in recent weeks and making immigration-related arrests.
Video and photos showed agents making arrests in North Chicago and Waukegan on Saturday.
Agents detained someone outside Lewis Fresh Market on Grand Avenue in Waukegan and arrested a worker at a work site along 10th Street in North Chicago. Another person was arrested next to Tortilleria y Supermercado Gonzalez, 821 10th Street in North Chicago.