After a week of lack of immigration operations in Lake County, U.S. Border Patrol was seen making arrests, including lawn care workers, in the Waukegan, North Chicago and Gurnee area Saturday.
Residents in eastern Lake County reported seeing the U.S. Border Patrol agents on Saturday morning.
The agents’ presence came following reports of drones, suspected to be used by federal authorities, being deployed in the area on Friday evening.
Video showed multiple drones flying over the Belvidere Mall and Home Depot in Waukegan.
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) helicopter was spotted circling over the Waukegan area on Saturday morning as agents were deployed.
Agents were seen on 10th Street east of Prescott Street in Waukegan making an arrest.
They also appeared to be targeting lawn care workers, including arresting at least one at 11th Street and McAlister Avenue in North Chicago around 9:30 a.m.
Agents also had stopped lawn care workers in the area of Chestnut Street and Montesano Avenue in Waukegan.
A video taken by a bystander showed U.S. Border Patrol agents walking down the street appearing to look for someone near Martin Avenue and Brookside Avenue in Waukegan.
Another video captured a person running away from agents at a grocery store on the corner of Jackson Street and 8th Street in Waukegan.
A video showed agents arresting a man and placing him into an SUV on Lincoln Avenue south of 9th Street in Waukegan.
People working on a roof and landscapers were detained at Riverside Plaza on the corner of Route 21 and Washington Street in Gurnee.
U.S. Border Patrol and ICE have been conducting immigration enforcement operations in Lake County over the past several weeks.
The arrests on Saturday come after a week of apparent lack of immigration enforcement activity in the area.
North Chicago Mayor Leon Rockingham Jr. signed a “landmark” order earlier this week banning federal immigration agents from using city-owned property, as he denounced immigration enforcement operations for causing fear.