Residents and community groups told the Prospect Heights Village Council Monday they want stronger local protections against federal immigration enforcement activity they say has frightened merchants and customers in neighborhood plazas.

Anna Kang of the Mahala Center said merchants in the plaza have reported seeing immigration agents in the area and described merchants as "very scared," urging the village to provide greater attention and assistance. "We are asking the village to adapt policies that, number 1, ban civil immigration enforcement within village limits," Kang said, and recommended measures including reminding residents of their rights and creating secure communication channels for merchants.

Daniella Hernandez described daily life under the reported activity as filled with fear: "People are scared to leave their home to go to work, to drop off their kids at school or even going out to buy groceries," she said, and asked the council what it would do to help keep Prospect Heights residents safe.

Francisco Ruiz urged the council to consider a formal local policy similar to measures other nearby communities adopted; he cited a recent news article summarizing another village's ban on federal agents using village property to stage operations and asked Prospect Heights trustees to consider doing the same.

Karina, who works assisting residents with citizenship applications, described an incident she said occurred at about 9:30 a.m. at a plaza where a whistle and honking signaled the presence of immigration agents. She said business owners and patrons emerged terrified and checked on one another afterward. "These were business owners, these were patrons, these were clients who were just stopping in to go buy groceries," she said, and called for the village to "step up into this full leadership that we need in this moment."

Council members thanked the speakers. The chair noted there would be no action on these requests that night. Several speakers asked the village to consider specific steps: ban federal civil immigration enforcement within village limits absent a signed judicial warrant, prohibit use of village-owned parking lots and facilities for staging federal enforcement activities, require federal agents operating in the village to identify themselves and wear body cameras, and consider a relief fund for residents who lose work because of enforcement activity.

No formal council response or vote on policy followed the public-comment period; the board said there was no action to take at that meeting but welcomed further conversations and suggested staff follow up as appropriate.