Humboldt Park officials say federal agents targeted Puerto Rican museum, fear for upcoming events

By Sabrina Franza, Sara Tenenbaum

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    CHICAGO (WBBM) — Community leaders and elected officials in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood said at least a dozen federal agents targeted visitors at a neighborhood museum Tuesday for immigration purposes, which the department disputes.

Department of Homeland Security officers were on the grounds of the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture Tuesday afternoon, according to museum officials.

“I am upset, frustrated, and literally in disbelief of what happened yesterday,” said NMPRAC Director of Education and Programming Veronica Ocasio.

Museum officials said around 4 p.m., 15 to 20 Homeland Security vehicles arrived outside the museum, at 3015 W. Division St., wearing mostly plain clothes. Museum officials said that when asked by staff, the agents refused all requests to show a warrant or any identification.

Ocasio and other museum leadership officials said they believe the agents were trying to learn about the area ahead of a large festival the museum has planned this weekend and are worried that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents will try to make arrests during that event.

CBS News Chicago was shown footage from museum surveillance cameras showing the agents’ arrival and subsequent movements. Most of them stayed in the parking lot, according to staff. But they said two agents entered the building, asked to use the bathroom and then started to walk around the museum in a different direction.

The Barrio Arts Fest is scheduled to be held at the museum on Saturday and Sunday. The festival is being held within the property line of the museum, which is rented and thus is private property.

Hours after museum staff and local officials spoke to the press about the incident and their safety plans for the upcoming festival, DHS released a statement offering an entirely different explanation:

“FALSE. The Department of Homeland Security DID NOT target the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture. On July 8, HSI Chicago’s Financial Crimes Task Force (FCTF) staged and held a quick briefing in the Museum’s parking lot in advance of an enforcement action related to a narcotics investigation.

“Once again, the media and Sanctuary City politicians are shamefully peddling a false narrative in an attempt to demonize our ICE enforcement agents, who are already facing a 700% surge in assaults again them.”

Ald. Jessie Fuentes (26th) said museum leadership told them a staff member heard the agents in the parking lot, talking amongst themselves.

“In conversations among one another, they also made comments about festivals happening in the community, looking at the museum in terms of their exits and entrances for what seemed to be a plan to come and terrorize our residents as they come and enjoy our park and cultural and Latino events in this community,” Fuentes said.

In response to the DHS statement, the museum said it was not changing their version of events or altering their statement about what happened Tuesday and will not let their guard down.

Museum leadership said they will be training their staff to know their rights and are hiring private security to guard the entrance to the festival. They said they will be prepared to prevent agents from entering if they need to. They said they will also have immigration attorneys on hand.

In addition to Barrio Arts Fest, Colombian Fest is scheduled for later in July and Fiesta Boricua is scheduled for late August. Officials say the festivals are large cultural celebrations of Latino culture and are expected to draw large crowds, and they are concerned there are intentions to target attendees.

“Whether it’s Barrio Fest, Colombian Fest, Mexican Independence Day Parade, Bandera Bandera, when we have our festivals at the beginning during Labor Day, the people here will continue to stand in solidarity,” said U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Illinois).

Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, and people born in Puerto Rico are U.S. citizens.

After the DHS spokesperson responded to CBS News Chicago’s reporting, Rep. Ramirez released a follow-up response, saying, “Once again, agents of DHS – and let’s be clear that HSI agents work within ICE and are agents of DHS – should identify themselves, like every law enforcement official is required to do.”

A representative for Ald. Fuentes issued this statement in response to the DHS remarks:

“We were made aware of the DHS statement and Alder Fuentes’ response is that this is exactly why ICE and any federal agent should identify themselves and why they need to be transparent with the public. Until we get a full report of their activity, we cannot confirm this to be factual.”

Later Wednesday, CBS News Chicago learned that Congresswoman Delia Ramirez sent a letter to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, and to Acting ICE Director Todd M. Lyons, saying in part:

“I write to condemn the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE’s) blatant disregard for private property and community safety and its unannounced, unauthorized, warrantless presence on the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture’s (NMPRAC) privately-leased property.”

Chicago police reaffirmed in a statement that, per the city’s Welcoming City Ordinance, the department “does not assist federal immigration authorities with enforcement action solely based on immigration status. Additionally, CPD does not document immigration status and does not share such information with federal authorities.”

CBS News Chicago has reached back out to museum officials about DHS’s explanation and is awaiting a response.

Will keep following this story and will update if there are more developments.

One of the people on the video was wearing a police vest, but the specific agency for which they work was not clear.

Staff said one person in the large group outside the museum said they worked for DHS, but did not elaborate further.

No one was taken into custody, according to museum officials.

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