ICE Agents Mistakenly Detain and Injure US Citizen in Evanston, Illinois Suburb of Chicago

ICE agents in Evanston, Illinois — a Chicago suburb — mistakenly detained a Black man they believed matched someone they were targeting on Sunday morning, September 20, 2026, around 9:49 a.m. Cellphone video from a witness showed the man pinned to the ground, saying 'I'm a f***ing US citizen,' with a witness describing agents as 'being rough with him' and saying one appeared to strike him in the face. He sustained injuries to his head, neck, and teeth; Evanston's police chief met with him at a local hospital, where an evidence technician photographed and documented his injuries. ICE said agents 'immediately identified themselves as law enforcement' and gave 'lawful commands' but that the man 'was not cooperative and refused to identify himself,' and that officers 'relied on their training.' Agents ultimately determined he was not their target, confirmed he was a U.S. citizen, and released him. Evanston police said they are investigating and preserving body-camera footage from the scene.