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Prospect Heights residents press council to submit Dec. 22 detention evidence to Cook County and demand transparency
Summary
Immigrant-rights advocates and eyewitnesses told the Prospect Heights City Council on Feb. 23 to submit evidence of a Dec. 22 federal immigration detention to the Cook County State''s Attorney, host a community forum, publish resources in English and Spanish, and share police training materials; the council heard the requests but took no formal action at the meeting.
Residents, immigrant-rights advocates and students pressed the Prospect Heights City Council on Feb. 23 to take concrete steps after an incident on Dec. 22 in which federal immigration agents detained a U.S. citizen near Pauli Plaza.
"This protocol provides a clear way for local law enforcement agencies to submit evidence to the Cook County State's Attorney's Office for review," said D Kovac, executive director of the Hana Center, citing a new Cook County protocol announced Feb. 19. Kovac asked the city to submit all evidence from the Dec. 22 incident to the Cook County State's Attorney and to publicly announce that it had done so.
Eyewitness Lisa Cohen said she watched federal immigration agents pull an American citizen from a vehicle without presenting a warrant. "No warrant was presented. No just cause was explained," Cohen said, describing officers pulling the person from a still-moving vehicle and saying local police formed a perimeter but did not demand a warrant or intervene.
Youth leaders and other Hana Center speakers urged the council to act on three specific requests: host a community forum with the mayor, police chief and social-service providers; place "know your rights" and other immigration resources in English and Spanish on the city's website; and share the manuals, slide decks and materials used to train officers in compliance with the Illinois Trust Act. "Immigrant communities are in a time when they need your support now more than ever," said Andrew Deasales, suburban youth program coordinator at the Hana Center.
Speakers framed their demands as practical steps to rebuild trust in policing and city services. Several commenters warned that if residents do not feel protected, they will stop reporting crimes and cooperating with officers, which they said would harm public safety.
Council members did not announce any immediate commitments or votes in response to the requests during the Feb. 23 meeting. Commenters said they would provide copies of materials to the city clerk and expect a response at a future council meeting.
Why it matters: Public trust in local policing is a core municipal responsibility, and speakers tied the requests to state law and county-level prosecutorial procedures, including a Cook County protocol for reviewing incidents involving federal immigration enforcement. The community sought clarity on whether Prospect Heights police complied with the Illinois Trust Act during the Dec. 22 encounter and asked for structural investments such as embedded social workers to respond to nonviolent calls.
No formal council action on the demands was recorded at the meeting; the council adjourned at the end of its agenda.
