Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – Ald. Lakeisha Purchase has hometown concerns about federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Illinois.

Saying she is from the Chicago suburb of Maywood, she asked police chief Joe Behl (pictured) during Tuesday’s city council meeting, “How do we deal with some of these situations like in Berwyn, which is like five minutes away from where I grew up? They had a really bad situation and made the national news with that agency and people peacefully protesting, and then it got out of hand.”

Behl: “We have no correspondence with any federal enforcement agency.”
Purchase: “If they did come, would they inform you that they are coming into our city?”
Behl: “I have not spoken to an ICE agent in almost twenty years.”

“They’re already here!” someone called out from the gallery.

Also Tuesday, some public commenters criticized Behl and Mayor Misty Buscher for not attending Monday’s town hall on police misconduct, through Behl sent a commander.