Federal agents detained a U.S. citizen on Howard Street in Evanston on Sunday, Sept. 20. The man was later released after agents determined he was not the person they were seeking, and he was treated at a hospital for injuries to his head, neck and teeth.

The man was found on the ground in the 1700 block of Howard Street east of Dodge Avenue around 9:49 a.m. with bystanders assisting him, according to an Evanston Police Department press release issued that evening. He was transported by ambulance to St. Francis Hospital, where he was treated for what Mayor Daniel Biss described as minor injuries.

Police Chief Schenita Stewart responded to the hospital, spoke with the resident and provided information about community resources, the department said. An EPD evidence technician photographed and documented his injuries.

The encounter began after an unknown caller reported hearing two men arguing and someone saying an individual would be taken into custody, according to EPD. Officers arrived to find the man on the ground. Witnesses told police that people they believed were U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents had tried to take him into custody.

A video posted to Facebook showed the end of the incident near El Pueblito Mexican Grill on Howard Street, with a man lying near the curb and at least two agents nearby as vehicles drove off.

A separate Evanston officer encountered two SUVs near Dodge Avenue and Brummel Street. A person in plain clothes wearing a vest marked "POLICE" with federal law enforcement markings identified himself as a federal agent conducting a fugitive investigation.

The agent told the officer that agents had tried to identify someone who resembled a person they were seeking. He said the man refused to provide identification, was detained for fingerprinting and resisted detention. Agents later determined he was not the person they were looking for and that he was a U.S. citizen. He was released.

The Evanston officer observed blood on the agent's hands. The agent said he was injured while trying to handcuff the man and declined medical treatment.

The agent later told EPD sergeants that five federal agents had been operating in the area in separate vehicles. He said the person they were seeking had addresses in Chicago and that a warrant existed for that person's arrest. The agents left the area after protesters began to gather, the agent told police, because they feared being attacked.

Biss confirmed the detention on X on Sept. 20, writing that EPD "continues to investigate the situation, and we will remain vigilant about federal activities."

Evanston Now reported the incident is the first confirmed presence of federal agents in Evanston in several months. The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) had reported sightings of federal agent vehicles in Skokie throughout the summer, including earlier in September.

The specific federal agency involved has not been officially confirmed. Evanston Now reported that the Department of Homeland Security did not respond to emails requesting comment on Sept. 20.

EPD said its investigation is active and ongoing. Officers are conducting a video canvass, preserving body-worn-camera and in-car video, and collecting photographs and video from witnesses. The department said additional video evidence will be prepared for public release as it becomes available.

The incident follows "Operation Midway Blitz" on Oct. 31, 2025, when federal agents spent hours in Evanston. Biss described those agents as mostly from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and said they caused a car crash, beat and pepper-sprayed bystanders, pointed guns at residents and detained people for hours, according to Patch. As of August 2026, Evanston was seeking guidance from the Cook County State's Attorney's Office on that earlier incident.

Anyone with information can contact EPD or submit anonymous tips by texting 274637 and beginning the message with EPDTIP.