Immigration agents left peaceably in one incident in Joliet last week that may have been the first encounter with local police.

“The entire interaction took about three minutes,” Sgt. Dwayne English, spokesman for the Joliet Police Department said.

Police were called Thursday afternoon regarding the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in the parking lot of the Azteca de Oro, a popular banquet hall for the Joliet Hispanic community.

Banquet Manager Ivette Nunez said she called police after getting phone calls notifying her that ICE agents were in the parking lot.

There was no event taking place at the time at the banquet hall at 1013 Collins St.

“I wanted them to be removed from the parking lot,” Nunez said.

Nunez said she was concerned that ICE was using the private property as a stationing area without permission despite no-trespassing restrictions on the property.

A Joliet police officer was dispatched to the banquet hall, English said.

“The officer asked them to vacate the parking lot as requested by Azteca de Oro,” English said. “They complied.”

The officer did suggest another nearby location, a street that was public property that could be used by the federal agents, English said.

Nunez, the daughter of immigrants who came to the area 53 years ago, said she was concerned that the Azteca de Oro remain a welcoming place for the immigrant community in Joliet.

Azteca do Oro has been in business for 24 years.

“We have been supported by immigrants whether documented or not,” she said.

ICE has been active in Joliet since the federal government stepped up immigration enforcement in the Chicago region.

Previous arrests have included cars being stopped in Joliet streets with occupants forcibly removed, including one incident outside City Hall.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has not provided information to The Herald-News about those incidents, including who was arrested.

Joliet police have not been involved in the arrests.

English said the Joliet Police Department has had little communication with ICE other than the agency informing local authorities that it would be active in the area.

He said he did not know of any other incidents in which Joliet police have interacted with ICE before the two met at the Azeca de Oro last week.

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