HAMMOND, Ind. — Armed federal ICE agents were seen staging an operation Thursday morning in the parking lot of the Hammond Police Department, according to a statement from Mayor Thomas M. McDermott Jr.
McDermott said the city has no formal agreements or partnerships with Immigration and Customs Enforcement that authorize federal agents to use Hammond’s property or facilities. He called the incident “deeply concerning,” noting that the federal courthouse is located just one block west of the city’s police headquarters.
“It is deeply concerning that federal agents would enter and use Hammond’s property without permission—especially when the Federal Courthouse is located just one block west of our police headquarters,” McDermott said in his post.
City officials reportedly notified ICE agents that they were not authorized to stage operations on municipal property. The agents then relocated their operation elsewhere within the city, according to McDermott.
The mayor did not specify what the federal operation involved or whether local law enforcement was notified in advance.
