A U.S. citizen was injured Sunday morning in Evanston, Illinois, after five Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents mistook him for a fugitive and attempted to arrest him. The man, who has not been publicly identified, was later treated at St. Francis Hospital for injuries to his head, neck, and teeth.

Mistaken for a Fugitive in Evanston

The encounter took place just before 10 a.m. on September 20 in Evanston, a city of about 75,000 residents roughly 12 miles north of downtown Chicago. Five ICE agents arrived in separate vehicles and approached the man on the street, apparently believing him to be a fugitive they had been tracking. When he declined to identify himself, agents moved to handcuff him. The man refused to comply and, according to witnesses, immediately and repeatedly told agents they had the wrong person.

Witnesses Describe the Confrontation

Two witnesses gave similar accounts of the encounter. Ryan Garton, 56, watched as one agent pressed his knee into the man’s back while the man called out, “I’m a citizen, leave me alone.” Michael Lipson, a local store owner, also saw agents wrestling the man to the ground as he continued to assert his citizenship. Lipson noted that agents scattered the contents of the man’s wallet across the ground during the struggle.

The man’s injuries were visible to bystanders. Witnesses described swelling around his right eye socket and temple, facial abrasions suggesting contact with the pavement, and blood on his clothing. After agents confirmed through identification that they had targeted the wrong person, ICE released him. Agents offered the man assistance, which he declined. He was later treated at St. Francis Hospital, where Mayor Daniel Biss confirmed he received care for what officials described as minor injuries.

ICE Issues a Statement

ICE defended its agents in a statement following the incident. “The individual was given lawful commands but was not cooperative and refused to identify himself,” the agency said, adding that officers “left the scene without further incident.” The statement did not address how agents came to target the wrong person or explain what led the physical confrontation to escalate.

Evanston police responded to the scene, photographed the man’s injuries, and opened an investigation into the encounter. Mayor Biss said the city’s police department was actively looking into what took place and confirmed the man had received hospital treatment.

Officials Demand Answers

Illinois Rep. Jan Schakowsky responded sharply to the news. “I am disgusted and outraged by reports of what happened in my hometown,” she said. Schakowsky joined other elected officials who have raised alarms over ICE’s conduct in communities across the country, as the Trump administration has expanded enforcement operations into cities and suburbs far beyond traditional immigration enforcement zones.

A Broader Pattern of ICE Incidents

The Evanston encounter comes amid a wave of high-profile incidents involving ICE use of force. In Austin, a separate ICE shooting left a Venezuelan DoorDash driver hospitalized the same weekend, sparking protests and calls for an independent investigation. In Minnesota, an ICE agent who faced charges in connection with a separate shooting had only recently been released from jail. Democrats have separately demanded an investigation into ICE conduct after a fatal shooting in Texas. Lawyers in Minnesota have also raised constitutional concerns over the agency’s expanded presence in their state.

The investigation by Evanston police is ongoing, and no charges have been filed in connection with Sunday’s confrontation. Federal officials have not indicated whether the incident will result in any review of the agents involved.

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