A group of roof workers was reportedly detained by immigration enforcement in Naperville, according to a local homeowner.
Cress Creek resident Bobby Fischer said the incident left his home with an unfinished roof, and left both the neighborhood and the workers frightened.
“I’m upset because it happened on my property, but I have 1/1000 of the pain that these people are experiencing,” said Fischer.
Resident alerted by neighbor of believed immigration presence at his home
On Wednesday, Sept. 17, between 11:45 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., Fischer said six crew members were doing roof work on his home, which included a full tear-off.
While this was happening, he was out celebrating his daughter’s birthday when he received “frantic texts” from his neighbor about “police presence” outside his home. The neighbor said they believed the officers to be from United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Fischer said when he returned home around 1:30 p.m., his neighbor told him that the alleged immigration agents had detained five of the workers, and shared a photo from the incident.
Photo neighbor shared with Fischer of roofer being detained
“We saw a picture of a guy with his hands behind his back. I don’t know how they restrained them, but they didn’t talk to anybody. They just grabbed them, put them in a vehicle, and took off,” said Fischer.
His neighbor told him when the agents arrived, some of the crew members jumped off the roof and ran away into the neighborhood, and were chased by the agents.
“They were running down the street, guns drawn, chasing these guys. Literally, their tools were still running when we got home. Very eerie sight,” said Fischer. “These guys were running for their lives.”
Meanwhile, one of the workers remained on the roof.
“My neighbor said that the agents knocked down all the ladders, leaving this man stranded on the roof on a 90-degree day. He was up there after we got home, and he was hiding until someone from the company came back and they called out for him,” said Fischer.
Fischer added that four of the workers detained were documented, with one possibly being undocumented, according to information he received after speaking with the owner of the construction company on Wednesday night.
He does not know if they are still detained or have been released.
NCTV17 reached out to ICE for a statement but had not received a reply as of the time of this post.
“This is a nice place where kids live. We’re in the best school district in the state, this is supposed to be a great place to live, and now my whole family and my neighbors are scared. This is awful,” said Fischer.
Separate incident occurs on the same day at a Naperville Menards
The Naperville Sun reported on a separate incident that took place in Naperville yesterday at a Menards parking lot, located at 715 Fort Hill Dr.
It involved a business owner from Montgomery and two of his employees, who were allegedly arrested by immigration agents, according to the article.
Naperville Police Department comments on ICE activity in the city
On Thursday afternoon, the Naperville Police Department shared a post on social media clarifying the department’s role in immigration enforcement after receiving “several inquiries” about ICE activity in the city.
The post said immigration enforcement falls under federal authority, and that local law enforcement cannot assist with immigration enforcement under the Illinois TRUST Act. Naperville police are not notified when ICE agents will be in the city, according to the post.
“The Naperville Police Department is committed to providing police services to all members of our community. NPD’s primary responsibility is enforcing criminal laws, and our officers remain dedicated to that mission. Our officers do not ask about people’s immigration status,” the post read.
Ongoing ICE activity in Illinois
Illinois Representative Lauren Underwood, who is also the Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Appropriations, shared in a press release on Sept. 15 that she was told by ICE leadership that the current ICE operations in the Chicagoland area began on Sept. 6 and will carry through until the agency is told otherwise by the Trump administration.
Known as “Operation Midway Blitz,” ICE is reportedly focusing on all of Illinois and Lake County, Indiana, according to the press release.
As of Sept. 15, the agency had reportedly taken 250 individuals into custody since beginning the operation. Those who are detained and processed are then taken to detention centers in Indiana and Wisconsin.
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