The threat of a federal incursion to Evanston’s south hung over the Fourth Ward meeting Tuesday evening, as officials spoke about precautions the city is taking ahead of an imminent occupation of Chicago by federal immigration agents and potentially National Guard soldiers.

After weeks of escalating rhetoric against the nation’s third-largest city, President Donald Trump said in a press conference Tuesday afternoon that the feds will be “going in” to Chicago for a renewed removal operation led by agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. Staging has reportedly started at Naval Station Great Lakes in Lake County, and Trump has threatened to deploy National Guard troops, as part of a so-called “anti-crime crackdown” as in Washington, D.C. A federal judge ruled Tuesday morning that a similar move in Los Angeles in June was illegal under a law prohibiting the military’s use in domestic law enforcement.

Speaking to residents attending online and at the Robert Crown Community Center, Councilmember Jonathan Nieuwsma (4th Ward) shared information on the updated Welcoming City Ordinance and “Know Your Rights” materials created to help prepare residents for potential interactions with ICE agents. He also discussed two proposed pieces of legislation focused on the increasingly common practice of federal agents concealing their faces with masks and hiding which specific agency they are affiliated with.

Legislation and uniforms

The two proposals are a resolution calling on the U.S. Congress and Illinois General Assembly to prohibit federal agents from wearing face masks and an ordinance strengthening the city’s existing law against impersonating law enforcement. “It’s already illegal,” Nieuwsma said of the impersonation ordinance. “We’ll be increasing that fine pretty substantially.”

Both pieces were unanimously approved by the city’s Human Services Committee earlier Tuesday evening, and are expected to go before the City Council on Monday. City staff released a public statement with more details on the legislation after the vote.

“The City firmly opposes anonymous enforcement tactics, emphasizing the urgent need for increased transparency and communication between federal law enforcement and communities,” the statement reads. “By advocating for these changes, Evanston seeks to foster a climate of trust, ensuring that the rights and dignity of all individuals are upheld during all law enforcement operations.”

The shield emblem used by the Evanston Police Department in officers’ shoulder patches and on the sides of squad cars. Credit: Evanston Police Department

Back at Robert Crown, Ofc. Nate Basner, who regularly attends Fourth Ward meetings to share public safety updates, also shared that Police Chief Schenita Stewart “sent out a general order just today” reinforcing that officers’ uniforms must clearly identify them as local Evanston police.

“It’s something we normally did anyway, but [the order is] just to ensure that, as I am visible to you now,” Basner said, pointing to his uniform’s shoulder patch, “that I have something [with] ‘Evanston Police’ on the front or on the side of my uniform that indicates that I’m an Evanston police officer.”

EPD searching for new plate camera vendor

Nieuwsma also mentioned the city’s decision last week to shut down its network of automated license plate readers (ALPRs) and terminate its contract with Flock Safety. Basner said that despite it being a “good investigative tool,” reports that the private vendor had “pilot programs” for sharing data with federal law enforcement persuaded the department to “decline to further our contract,” adding that other potential vendors are being explored.

“Unfortunately, due to Flock’s misstep, we’re going to have to find another ALPR company to get that investigative tool back up and running,” Basner said. “Flock has said they are going to amend things, but I don’t know if that’ll necessarily mean we enter our contract with them.”

Though the cameras are off, Flock isn’t keen on letting Evanston terminate its contract, which calls for the city to pay nearly $150,000 for service through January 2029. Dan Haley, the company’s chief legal officer, wrote to the city last week that the city’s termination notice was “replete with conclusory and unsupported assertions” and that the company “denies categorically” that it broke any laws or terms of the contract.

Nieuwsma mentioned a lawsuit could be on the way, but was unfazed by the prospect.

“We’ll see a report” on the legal challenge, Nieuwsma said. “I like our chances.”

City spokesperson Cynthia Vargas declined to comment Tuesday on the status of the Flock contract’s termination, citing it as a “pending legal matter.” No lawsuits between the city and the company could be found using public search tools at time of writing, but Haley wrote in his Aug. 27 letter that Flock intends to “take all necessary steps to enforce” the contract.

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