CHICAGO — There were a lot of tears at the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program (ISAP) Office in the South Loop on Sunday, as fear continues to be felt within the immigrant community.

At least three people were detained there by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials on Father’s Day, after two others were detained on Saturday.

One woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said her father was amongst those detained by ICE on Father’s Day. She said her dad is a good man with no criminal record who has a work permit and has been in the country for three years already.

The woman also said that despite regular check-ins with immigration officials, it was only during this check-in that her father learned about an order of removal against him.

“We don’t know what to do,” the woman said. “We don’t have a lawyer or money to pay for a lawyer so he can leave voluntarily. He hasn’t done anything to anybody. He’s not a bad person.”

The woman’s father was amongst an unknown number of people who got a text message on Friday stating that an in-person check-in was required over the weekend at the ISAP Office on Michigan Avenue.

A copy of the text states that noncompliance would result in an infraction, but without stipulation of what that infraction was. Those who got the texts are in various immigration proceedings.

“Everybody that I’ve talked to has been terrified to go in, but still they go in with a brave face,” attorney Lyneshka Cruz Laureano said.

Those who did emerge from the ISAP Office again Sunday had been fitted with electronic monitors. Some were given additional requirements to show up at other appointments this week.  

Lawyers and advocates, many working pro-bono, were also there to get a manual record of who was being taken inside so they could track them down if they didn’t come back out.

“It’s very sad they’re doing this on Father’s Day. We did see someone’s father get detained,” Tenoch Rodriguez of The Resurrection Project said. “It’s horrible to see families torn apart on this day, or any day, and they’re going to continue to do it.”

People came from all over the state Sunday, told they had until 4 p.m. to check in. Some turned up after driving hours to get there, only to be turned away and told to send an email to ICE instead.

One lawyer said she has repeatedly emailed ICE over the past couple weeks and has received no response.