Photo: AFP
A Black man in Chicago says he was wrongfully detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents during a late-night raid of his neighborhood, despite repeatedly telling them he is a U.S. citizen and offering proof.
During a recent interview with Don Lemon, the man recounted the alleged ICE "kidnapping," which unfolded on September 29 just after 10:30 p.m., when agents arrived at his home.
The man said ICE pushed their way into his home after knocking on his door. He described the agents as wearing army green uniforms with “ICE” written on their backs.
“They said, ‘We want you to come with us,’” the man recalled.
When he asked why, the man said one of the agents responded, “Just shut up and come with us.”
The man said agents zip-tied his hands on his porch and marched him down to the corner of the street, where he was loaded into a truck already holding 10 people. More people were added to the back of the truck before the group was transported to the Broadview ICE facility in Chicago.
Despite repeatedly telling agents he was a U.S. citizen, the man said agents told him to "shut up and follow instructions."
The man noted that he had his birth certificate and identification in a backpack with him, but he was never allowed to show them.
“They didn’t want to see it,” he told Lemon. “They’re lying. They’re not checking IDs.”
According to the man, ICE was targeting a specific building during the late-night raid, but agents were also randomly detaining people in and around the area.
“Didn’t matter what color you were. They were scooping people up,” he said.
At the Broadview facility, agents took the man's phone and backpack. He said he was placed in a room with more than 60 people sharing one toilet and one sink. He remained in the holding cell for over eight hours before being released.
“I never thought for one moment that what happened could’ve happened to me. I don’t fit what they’re looking for," the man said.
The man's story sparked outrage from social media users.
"They’re detaining people for being black and brown in public, no due process, just a wide net to make America white again," one Instagram user commented.
"I hope he sues!" another person wrote.
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