Introduction to the Incident
An off-duty Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer was charged with attacking a protester last month at a gas station in west suburban Brookfield, according to officials and the alleged victim of the attack.
Details of the Attack
Adam Saracco was charged with a misdemeanor count of battery in connection with the Dec. 27 attack at a gas station in the 9200 block of East 31st Street, according to Brookfield police and Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke’s office. Robert Held, 68, said he followed Saracco from the parking lot of the suburban Broadview ICE facility and was filming as Saracco stopped for gas. Held said he was standing on the sidewalk when the ICE officer started walking toward him.
The Confrontation
“He increased his pace, and he came upon me, and he threw me to the ground, and he tried to take my phone,” Held said in an interview. “What came out of my mouth was, ‘Calm down, you need to deescalate.’”Held said people nearby began honking their horns, and Saracco eventually let him go.
Investigation and Charges
Police said prosecutors “reviewed the case and declined to file felony charges, advising it was more appropriately charged as a misdemeanor.” The state’s attorney’s office said the police department directly filed the charges after prosecutors recommended the misdemeanor charge following its review. Held said police initially told him the case was being investigated as a felony because he was over the age of 60 and it occurred on a public sidewalk. He was later told prosecutors typically only charge felony battery in conjunction with another crime.
Reaction to the Charges
But Held was ultimately just grateful to see charges filed. “I’m pleased that there’s going to be accountability and that justice will be done,” he said. Held has been present at protests against President Donald Trump’s aggressive deportation campaign in the Chicago area, frequently posting to his social media pages. Last fall he was detained while protesting at Broadview and held inside the facility for eight hours.
Background of the Officer
Officials wouldn’t provide details of the alleged attack in Brookfield or confirm that Saracco works for ICE. His first court appearance was set for early March. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Saracco couldn’t immediately be reached. An ICE official with the name of Adam Saracco has been named in a handful of lawsuits filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, all of which were dismissed.
Previous Allegations
In one case, filed in late 2016, an immigrant of African descent claimed Saracco and other ICE officials attacked him earlier that year at the ICE offices in Chicago. The man, James Chesire, said the ICE officers’ “demeaning, violent, and unprovoked attack involved physical assault, verbal assault, and excessive use of force, causing Mr. Chesire physical harm and breaking an inviolable constitutional trust. During this attack, several officers violently beat Mr. Chesire, at times while using derogatory racial slurs against him, with the goal of forcing him to endorse documents of unknown content, and of punishing him for not signing them without understanding their contents,” the lawsuit claimed.
Context of ICE Operations
After Renee Macklin Good was shot and killed by an ICE officer earlier this month in Minneapolis, O’Neill Burke’s office said ICE operations “have resulted in unnecessary deaths, broken relationships between law enforcement and our citizens, and an untold amount of terror unleashed on communities.” Still, the office said it “does not conduct independent investigations into criminal conduct” and has no jurisdiction “over federal agencies or facilities.” Instead, it reviews “evidence appropriately collected by law enforcement” and makes charging decisions.
Other Incidents
An off-duty Customs and Border Patrol officer was indicted last month in federal court on charges of “gunpoint sexual assaults” of four women in the suburbs in 2022. Officer Luis Uribe was ordered held in custody while awaiting trial. Last year, ICE and CBP carried out a monthslong immigration enforcement campaign in the Chicago area, known as Operation Midway Blitz, which resulted in thousands of arrests and led to widespread protests, lawsuits and allegations of excessive force and racial profiling. Since then, federal immigration enforcement officials have faced similar allegations while targeting Minneapolis and other cities.
Conclusion
The incident involving Adam Saracco highlights the ongoing concerns about the conduct of ICE officers and the impact of their operations on communities. As the case proceeds, it will be important to monitor how it reflects on the broader issues of accountability and justice in the context of immigration enforcement.
FAQs
- Who was charged in the incident? Adam Saracco, an off-duty Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer, was charged with a misdemeanor count of battery.
- What happened during the incident? Robert Held, 68, was allegedly attacked by Saracco at a gas station in Brookfield after he followed Saracco from an ICE facility and began filming him.
- What were the circumstances of the charge? Prosecutors reviewed the case and recommended a misdemeanor charge, which was then filed by the police department.
- Is this an isolated incident? No, there have been other allegations of misconduct by ICE officials, including lawsuits naming Adam Saracco and incidents of excessive force and racial profiling during immigration enforcement operations.
- What is the current status of the case? Adam Saracco’s first court appearance was set for early March, and the case is ongoing.
