Three members of Illinois’ congressional delegation arrived at Naval Station Great Lakes Friday morning, hoping to meet with naval personnel and officials of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. They ended up only meeting with the Navy.
U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, and U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Highland Park, got to the base and saw the office building DHS and ICE will be using, but there was no one around.
“The office was locked and no one was there,” Duckworth said. “All our communication with them is oral. They don’t put anything in writing. Their mission is to scare people and put the community on edge.”
Denied the opportunity to meet with DHS and ICE officials, Durbin, Duckworth and Schneider got assurances from the Navy and talked about their expectations on Friday near the entrance to the North Chicago naval base.
Above all, Durbin said nothing DHS or ICE is doing at the naval base can interfere with its mission which includes putting thousands of men and women through boot camp to become sailors. It is the only such facility in the country.
Assuring the Navy will put everything in writing, Durbin said they learned DHS and ICE have permission to use the office through Oct. 5. He believes the presence of DHS and ICE has little to do with reducing crime.
“This is just political theater for (President) Donald Trump,” Durbin said. “If he wants to help lower crime, he should release the funds he is holding for gun-violence prevention.”
Schneider said getting a written record of what is planned is vital to finding out precisely what DHS and ICE will be doing at Naval Station Great Lakes for the next month. They know there will be no lethal weapons kept there.
“With Donald Trump, you have to get it in writing, and that may not be enough,” Schneider said, “We want to be sure DHS does what it’s supposed to do on the base.”
North Chicago Mayor Leon Rockingham Jr. joined Durbin, Duckworth and Schneider. He said people in his city and nearby communities are worried about what ICE may do.
“People need to know their rights,” Rockingham said. “If ICE comes to the door, they don’t have to answer it unless they have a warrant. They don’t have to say anything.”
Rockingham said members of the city Police Department will not assist ICE with efforts to deport people.
Earlier this week, Greg Jackson, Rockingham’s chief of staff, said as many as 300 ICE agents will be part of the operation. The officers will stay in hotels in Waukegan, Gurnee and possibly elsewhere.
If National Guard troops are used, Jackson said they will be utilized as they were in Los Angeles, to protect federal buildings like the naval base, the James A. Lovell Federal Healthcare Center and the FBI shooting range in North Chicago, and the U.S. Social Security Office in Waukegan.
On Tuesday, Waukegan Mayor Sam Cunningham made an effort to calm community fears issuing a statement letting people know his city’s police will not cooperate with ICE in civil immigration enforcement, as mandated by the Illinois Trust Act.
Cunningham said Waukegan officers will not wear masks, and will be in full uniform wearing badges while on duty. They will “be clearly identifiable,” he said.
“Waukegan is, and has always been, a melting pot of cultures from all over the world,” Cunningham said. “We are proud of our diversity, and remain committed to ensuring that every individual feels safe, valued and respected.”
