Alderman Byron Sigcho Lopez (left) address the attendees at his monthly community meeting, which featured a presentation by PUNO immigration rights activists (right). (Photo by Igor Studenkov/for Chronicle Media)

Two incidents where U.S. Immigration and Customs agents allegedly detained immigrants without warrants loomed large over the regularly scheduled 25th Ward community meeting, which was held on June 5 at Irma C. Ruiz Elementary School, 2410 S. Leavitt St.

The ward includes Pilsen and a portion of Little Village — two long-time Mexican-American neighborhoods. Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez holds regular monthly meetings throughout his ward to update residents on major concerns and projects, and occasionally holds presentations on various city services. But after ICE detained two Pilsen residents on Monday, June 2, he broadcast a livestream saying that the meeting would be an opportunity to organize and respond. Then, on June 4, ICE detained 10 immigrants at what was supposed to be a routine check-in, leading to a confrontation with Chicago elected officials and activists.

While Thursday’s meeting still had regular updates, he meeting also featured a presentation by Pilsen Unidos por Nuestro Orgullo (roughly — Pilsen United for Our Pride), a collaborative between several Pilsen community organizations that provides aid for immigrants of all statuses, tries to verify ICE sightings and responds to incidents such as the Monday arrests. PUNO organizers said that they are trying to get the information out about what rights residents and businesses have. But they also said that the recent incidents showed that ICE was shifting tactics and ignoring the law, which left them scrambling to adapt.

On June 2, ICE arrested two Pilsen residents who worked at the Carnitas Don Pedro restaurant. According to Sigcho-Lopez’s statement and Block Club Chicago, one of them was arrested at the restaurant and another was arrested at his home. The ICE agents reportedly didn’t show arrest warrants.

The June 4 incident had to do with the federal Intensive Supervision Appearance Program, a bail-like program that allows immigrants who are facing immigration proceedings or deportation to be temporarily released, and they are required to do regular check-ins. In this case, text messages allegedly went out to 10 program participants to come in person to an office at 2245 S. Michigan Ave. When the immigrants arrived there, they were arrested.

One of the program participants was Gladis Yolanda Chavez Pineda, a member of the Organized Communities Against Deportations advocacy group. She attended the check-in with her attorney, but they were reportedly separated, and Chavez Pineda was detained, which alerted OCAD and other advocacy organizations, who encouraged supporters to converge at the office. Several aldermen, including Sigcho-Lopez, came to the scene as well.

According to Block Club Chicago, tensions escalated as ICE agents led the detainees out to vans. They were seen pushing back some of the alderpeople and residents who assembled to protest. Ald. Anthony Quezada, 35th Ward, later said ICE agents pushed him to the ground.

Sicho-Lopez began his community meeting by acknowledging the Pilsen arrests.

“When we see neighbors being detained without warrant, when we see businesses being invaded without warrants — in time of fear, we need to unite,” he said.

While there was no discussion of any concrete plans, Sigcho-Lopez encouraged businesses, residents and local organizations to collaborate.

“All together, we can make a huge difference,” he said. “I look forward to working together to project our city.”

Organizer Mini Guiracocha said that PUNO is trying to drive home the importance of knowing once’s rights, “because, regardless of your immigration status, you have rights.” With warrants, for example, only judicial warrants signed by the judge allow ICE agents to enter private homes and nonpublic portions of businesses. Even then, Guiracocha said, judicial warrants that don’t have the judge’s signature, or have the wrong address and/or don’t have the person’s name spelled correctly, are not valid.

“If they do have a signed warrant, and they keep coming to your house, you still have a constitutional right to not say a word and ask for legal representation,” Guiracocha said.

One member of the audience asked the organizers to address rumors that Chicago Police Department has been working with ICE. The Chicago Sanctuary City law and the state TRUST Act limits such cooperation unless there is a federal criminal arrest warrant signed by a judge.

PUNO organizer Diego Morales said that “from what we have seen so far, since November, we haven’t seen solid evidence of CPD collaboration in Chicago,” but “that’s not true outside Chicago.”

He said that, while there were officers on the scene during the Pilsen incident, they claimed that they were simply in the area and swung by to investigate unmarked white vans. Morales said that PUNO plans to use the Freedom of Information Act requests to fact-check it.

“We are doing some checking of the bodycam footage and vehicle camera footage,” he said.

Sigcho-Lopez said that it was important to hold ICE accountable.

“It is really important (to say) that what is happening in our country is completely unconstitutional,” he said. “People cannot be detained without a warrant.”