As more communities ban federal immigration authorities from the use of public property, concerned residents of St. Charles are again urging City Council take similar action.

A large crowd is expected Monday evening for the third consecutive City Council meeting. At the previous two meetings, community members denounced what they called violent tactics by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Patrol agents. Several residents said the city must act to protect its citizens.

Monday’s City Council meeting is at 7 p.m. at the St Charles Municipal Center, 2 E. Main St.

“Residents described fear of shopping, working and sending children to school, citing alleged ICE use of city property, school parking lots and local businesses,” according to We Can Lead Change, a grassroots Fox Valley organization that has had local volunteers speak at previous meetings. “The mayor said the council would consider next steps, but residents say fear persists and swift action has not followed.”

The growing list of communities banning civil immigration enforcement on public property includes Elgin, Aurora, Batavia, and the Kane County Board.

Gov. JB Pritzker recently signed into law allowing for potential civil penalties on federal immigration authorities conducting arrests near public courthouses, amongst other protections against unlawful search and seizure.

According to We Can Lead Change, speakers at the Monday meeting will recount witnessing an ICE operation in nearby Elgin involving, “masked, heavily armed agents using tear gas and flash-bang devices in a residential neighborhood.”

During the Nov. 17 Council meeting, resident Heather Herrera claimed that since the beginning of “Operation Midway Blitz,” there have been 27 observed incidents of federal operations in St. Charles, including 19 documented people taken into custody, which Herrera called “abductions.” Those figures have not been independently confirmed.

Since that date, there have been social media reports of further ICE arrests and activity in the area.

According to reports based on records released by President Trump Administration, only 16 of the more than 600 detained immigrants by ICE in the Chicago area arrested during “Operation Midway Blitz” have criminal histories and are deemed a “high public safety risk.”