ICE agents return to Waukegan and Lake County as fear lingers one year after Midway Blitz

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents returned to Lake County in recent days, apprehending two men in Waukegan, patrolling Gurnee Mills, and being spotted in Round Lake.

The renewed presence has rekindled some of the fear instilled a year ago during Operation Midway Blitz, when dozens were taken into custody by federal immigration officers over a 70-day period.

"Last year was awful to experience," said Maria-Elana Jonas, founder and president of Waukegan-based HACES. "They still follow people with racial profiling. I carry my passport."

Mario Guadarrama, 31, and Pedro Serrano-Hernandez, 39, were apprehended by ICE agents on Sept. 25 near the intersection of Prescott and 8th streets in Waukegan, near the Holy Family Food Pantry, according to an email from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Both were taken into custody during targeted enforcement operations, the department said. Guadarrama had been arrested by Illinois authorities in 2019 for domestic battery. He entered the U.S. illegally at an unknown time and location.

Dulce Ortiz, executive director of Mano a Mano Family Services and a Waukegan Township trustee, said her organization is supporting Guadarrama's family, which includes three elementary school-age children. He is being held in an ICE detention facility in Indiana.

Ortiz said Mano a Mano's rapid response team was active on Sept. 25 and on Monday responding to reports of ICE activity in the Round Lake area and at Gurnee Mills. She said she was unaware of anyone else being taken away by agents.

"They knew we were watching," Ortiz said. "They kept moving around. They eventually left."

A cautious community a year later

A year after Midway Blitz, when Fiestas Patrias events were cancelled across Lake County, some people felt comfortable attending celebrations this year while others did not. Though fear remains, Ortiz said some people are more comfortable going to community events.

"They feel a need to go out and support these events so the small businesses feel supported," Ortiz said. "They're going for the ones who are afraid."

The fear has not gone away for everyone. Ortiz said some people are reluctant to leave their homes and are careful when they do. Others are learning to live with a constant undercurrent of dread.

"They take precautions so they are not kidnapped," Ortiz said.

Jonas said naturalized citizens and those who have lived legally in the U.S. for a long time are feeling more comfortable now. Asylum seekers who have dwelled in the country for two to three years are far more careful.

"They are all cautious and nervous of being out and about," Jonas said. "They are a good section of the community."

City and school officials respond

Waukegan Mayor Sam Cummingham, who last year intervened with immigration enforcement agents attempting to arrest a native-born daughter of immigrants, said in an email that Midway Blitz impacted "so many individuals and families" in the city.

"From how children travel to school to how neighbors interact, the disruption fundamentally altered daily lives throughout the city," Cummingham said. "The city stands firmly committed to ensuring that every resident, regardless of immigration status, feels safe engaging with local government and law enforcement."

Theresa Plascencia, superintendent of Waukegan Community School District 60, said in an email that the fear "did not begin or end last fall. While there may not be the same level of attention today, we know that fear and uncertainty remain very real for some of our students and families."

"Throughout all of this, our focus has remained on supporting our students and families, connecting them with information and resources when needed, and doing everything we can to provide stability during uncertain times," Plascencia said.