US citizen injured after ICE agents mistake him for fugitive in Chicago suburb

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents mistakenly targeted a US citizen during an operation in a Chicago suburb, leaving him injured before determining he was the wrong person, local police said.

Evanston police responded Sunday morning after receiving a report of an argument and found a man on the ground being helped by bystanders.

He reported injuries to his head, neck and teeth and was taken to hospital.

Witnesses told officers they believed ICE agents had tried to detain the man, according to the Evanston Police Department.

Federal agents later determined he was not the fugitive they were seeking and learned he was a US citizen, police said.

The Department of Homeland Security told CNN that agents encountered someone resembling their target and “immediately identified themselves as law enforcement.”

“The individual was given lawful commands but was not cooperative and refused to identify himself,” a DHS spokesperson told CNN.

DHS said agents left after confirming his identity but did not address his reported injuries.

Evanston police are investigating the incident, preserving body-camera footage and interviewing witnesses.