Lake County Officials Oppose Plans to Station ICE Immigration Agents at Naval Station Great Lakes

Share and Follow

NORTH CHICAGO, Ill. (WLS) — Local, state and federal leaders are speaking out in North Chicago not far from Naval Station Great Lakes about an increased presence of federal agents in the Chicago area.

Sources tell ABC News the Trump administration will be ramping up immigration enforcement in Chicago as soon as next Friday.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

Naval Station Great Lakes, the Navy’s largest training instillation, has confirmed it’s preparing to host federal immigration agents.

The base confirmed the Department of Homeland Security has asked for limited assistance for facilities and infrastructure for the operation.

Border czar Tom Homan said immigration agents are coming to remove threats to public safety.

Garien Gatewood, Deputy Mayor of Community Safety, talks about a potential National Guard deployment to Chicago.

President Donald Trump also says he may send National Guard troops to Chicago to help deter crime.

SEE ALSO: Trump administration asks Naval Station Great Lakes for support on Chicago immigration operations

The surge in ICE agents could be similar to the stepped up enforcement operation in Los Angeles.

There the National Guard was deployed in a support role so that according to federal officials, agents could do their job.

“It’s a show of unity,” Dulce Ortiz, president of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, said. “We know that Trump is bringing his hate agenda to the state of Illinois and I want to make it really clear that he is not only targeting Chicago, he is targeting Illinois. This is an issue that impacts a lot of Black and Brown communities throughout the state and so we want to make sure that we send a message to the president that here in Lake County we stand together united against this plan to militarize the stat of Illinois, essentially.

RELATED: CPD prepares for possible arrival of National Guard troops, immigration enforcement expected

Chicago’s Police Superintendent Larry Snelling says while officers won’t interfere with federal agents, they won’t take part in any immigration-related enforcement.

Mayor Brandon Johnson says his team is also stepping up efforts to inform the immigrant community of its rights and how it can best prepare for any large-scale ICE operation.