Mayor McNamara urges calm amid possible ICE presence in Rockford

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara issued a public statement after potential activity by U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) on the city’s southwest side Thursday morning.

In a recorded video posted to the City’s Facebook page, McNamara said, “We’ve reached out to every law enforcement agency that we possibly can. right now, we have no agency confirm that they have been part of the activity that took place this morning in southwest Rockford.”

The mayor’s statement came after multiple users on social media shared

videos purporting to show federal officials in Rockford on Thursday.

“We can tell you that it was not the City of Rockford Police Department. We can tell you that it was not the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office. We can tell you that it was not the State of Illinois Police Department.

“We cannot tell you that it was not ICE. That is something I cannot tell you at the time,” McNamara said.

“What we do know that the City of Rockford Police Department follows the Trust Act. We do not participate in ICE raids, nor will we,” he continued.

The mayor’s statement comes as tensions flare nationwide over ICE’s stated goals of apprehending criminal aliens in primarily Democrat-controlled cities.

The alleged activity also occurred on the day Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is testifying before a Congressional committee on the state’s sanctuary policies for undocumented migrants.

Addressing the undocumented migrant community, McNamara said, “As difficult as these times are, as frightening as these times can be, at this time we need to remain calm.”

The mayor then pointed noncitizens to a document from the National Immigrant Justice Center, titled “Know Your Rights: If You Encounter ICE,” and advised migrants to reach out to local attorneys.

“All I can tell you is that we here in the city of Rockford support our Latino community. We support our immigrants. They’re a critical part of our city, and we’re a better place because of them,” he said.

Illinois prevents local authorities from cooperating with U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) through the TRUST Act and the Way Forward Act.

Illinois Republicans in the state Senate have introduced legislation that would repeal the Trust Act. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s Office said the TRUST Act’s purpose is to build trust between law enforcement and migrants residing in Illinois.