Chicago City Wire

Brian McCann, whose brother Dennis McCann was killed in Logan Square by a person in the country illegally with a criminal record, said at a press conference that Chicago's sanctuary city policies prevented the individual's deportation.

"My brother Dennis was killed violently in the Logan Square neighborhood in June of 2011," said McCann, Angel Brother of Dennis “Denny” McCann, according to YouTube. "He was killed by an illegal alien, Juan Saul Chavez, who was convicted of a similar crime two years prior. He was not deported because Chicago, Cook County, had already established a sanctuary system. We're one of the most notorious sanctuary states in the union."

In June 2011, Denny McCann, a 66-year-old man from Chicago, was killed in the Logan Square neighborhood. According to the Chicago Sun Times, while crossing the street, McCann was struck by a car driven by Saul Chavez, who was allegedly intoxicated at the time. After hitting McCann, Chavez reportedly dragged him nearly 300 feet before fleeing the scene. An off-duty Chicago police officer apprehended Chavez shortly after the incident. He was subsequently charged with reckless homicide and aggravated DUI.

Following his arrest, immigration authorities issued a detainer request asking local officials to hold Chavez for up to 48 hours after he posted bond to facilitate potential deportation proceedings. However, according to the Sun Times, he was released from jail without notification to federal immigration officials despite the detainer. Chavez then fled the country and became a fugitive.

On May 7, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem joined Brian McCann and other Angel families who had lost loved ones near the Illinois governor’s mansion in Springfield to denounce the state’s sanctuary policies. According to the New York Post, Noem stood alongside families who had lost someone to illegal migrant crimes and called on Pritzker to "abandon" sanctuary city policies as she described them as a "dangerous" approach.

Cook County, which includes Chicago, has "sanctuary" status. The county has a policy that limits cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), particularly by refusing to honor ICE detainers for individuals arrested and held on local charges. ICE said that state and local policies limiting cooperation with the agency "endanger federal agents and communities," according to Fox News. The Department of Justice has filed legal actions against Pritzker, Mayor Brandon Johnson, and other officials claiming that failure to honor ICE detainers hinders federal efforts to take custody of individuals.

McCann is identified as Dennis McCann's brother by DHS.