Local and state officials denounced what they say is an increase in federal immigration enforcement activity in Lake County at a news conference Tuesday, with community organizers warning of “abductions” across the county over the past week.

The event was held less than a block from where one of several recent confrontations involving federal agents had occurred. On Monday afternoon , Waukegan Mayor Sam Cunningham attempted to intervene in the Border Patrol arrest of native-born American citizen Dariana Fajardo.

Fajardo was in attendance, but the 23-year-old did not speak during the news conference. In an interview afterward, she encouraged people to take the passion they felt about her arrest and put it towards addressing the larger issues.

“I understand what happened to me was very

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