A student at Elgin Community College was taken into custody by federal immigration authorities while on campus Thursday morning, the school reported.
In a statement provided to NBC Chicago, ECC said federal immigration authorities “took a student into custody in a parking lot outside of a building on our main campus.”
The school said the incident “appears to have been” isolated, but noted they were in communication with local legislators and community leaders about it.
“ECC does not engage in immigration enforcement and does not voluntarily share information about students’ immigration status,” the school’s statement read. “Our focus remains on supporting our students and maintaining a safe, welcoming learning environment. ECC offers confidential support and resources through our student support offices.”
“Because this matter involves an ongoing federal process and privacy protections, we will not be providing additional details at this time,” the school added. “We remain committed to the well-being of every student and will continue to offer resources and support to our community.”
Further information on the person taken into custody was not immediately released.
It marks the latest immigration-related arrest in the northwest Chicago suburb this week.
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Homeland Security Sec. Kristi Noem posted a video on her social media feeds of a raid Tuesday morning in Elgin, with three men, all of whom were allegedly undocumented immigrants, taken into custody from a rental property in the suburb.
The arrests come as officials warned last week of increased immigration enforcement operations known as “Operation Midway Blitz” in Chicago and Illinois.
NBC 5 Investigates asked DHS how many people have been detained or arrested since the operation began and while the department did not provide a number, it pointed to a press release showing 11 individuals who they labeled as some of the “worst of the worst.”
Noem said that the administration has made its position clear that it will go into so-called “sanctuary” communities, like in the state of Illinois, to enforce immigration laws.
“President Trump has been clear: if politicians will not put the safety of their citizens first, this administration will,” she said. “I was on the ground in Chicago today to make clear we are not backing down.”
At the same time, Gregory Bovino, a border patrol chief who recently led ICE efforts in Los Angeles, posted to social media early Tuesday morning, saying “Operation at Large” has arrived in Chicago.
“Well Chicago, we’ve arrived!,” a message posted to X by Bovino read. The message was accompanied by a video of what appeared to be border patrol agents walking and driving through parts of the city and suburbs.
“Operation At Large is here to continue the mission we started in Los Angeles—to make the city safer by targeting and arresting criminal illegal aliens,” the post said.
Several suburbs have also reported increased ICE activity in recent days.