Video Shows ICE Detaining 3 Men at Des Plaines Gas Station, Including U.S. Citizen
DES PLAINES, Ill. — A routine stop at a gas station in suburban Des Plaines turned into a tense confrontation Tuesday morning as ICE officers detained three men, including one who is a U.S. citizen, according to their attorney. Surveillance video captured the dramatic scene near Ballard and Potter Roads.
Surveillance Video Captures Arrest
The video shows ICE agents approaching a truck at a Mobil gas station, where three men were preparing to leave for a landscaping job. As one agent approached the vehicle, others quickly surrounded it, ordering the men out and taking them into custody.
Attorney George Gomez said one of the detainees has lived in the U.S. for more than 30 years without current immigration status. Another man, a U.S. citizen and son of one of the detainees, was released shortly after being taken into custody. A third man was also released, though Rigoberto Ruiz, the father, reportedly remains in custody.
Family and Attorney Speak Out
A woman who asked not to be identified told NBC Chicago that the three men detained were her father and two brothers. She said they were simply getting drinks before heading to work when armed agents confronted them.
“They went to the gas station, no issues whatsoever,” Gomez explained. “They went to get something to drink, they go back to their car and as they get back in their car, they’re approached by an unknown individual, who never states at any point whether he’s a law official.”
The men reportedly panicked when guns were drawn. Gomez said one of his clients, Edgar Ruiz, was tased in the chin while trying to exit the vehicle, suffering visible injury. While Edgar Ruiz and his brother were later released, the family has been unable to confirm where Rigoberto is being held, noting his name does not appear in ICE’s detainee locator system.
Community Reaction
The incident has sparked concern among immigrant rights advocates, who warn that such operations create fear and confusion.
“It’s very heartbreaking, I’m not gonna lie,” said Monserrat Ayala of the group Increase the Peace. “It’s heartbreaking because that could be anyone that we know. It could be my father, my brother, our local corner store lady.”
ICE and the Department of Homeland Security have not yet responded to requests for comment on the operation.
The detentions at the Des Plaines gas station have left a family searching for answers and raised questions about transparency in ICE enforcement actions. For more Illinois community news and updates, stay with ChicagoMusicGuide.com.