CHICAGO — Cook County leaders decried an appearance by federal immigration agents Thursday at a domestic violence-focused courthouse, blasting the effort as a repeat arrest attempt, creating a chilling effect on victims.

Immigration agents have been spotted at county courthouses five times since the end of February, targeting the county’s domestic violence court four times and making arrests on three occasions, said Sharlyn Grace, senior policy adviser at the Cook County public defender’s office, during a news conference Thursday.

On Thursday, a pair of agents entered the courthouse, one even checking in their gun with security, but the agents left without making an arrest, Grace said.

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle cited the Illinois law barring federal agents from making civil immigration arrests in or near courthouses to argue the Thursday appearance fit a pattern from President Donald Trump’s administration.

“That is not simply a disagreement, it’s a blatant disregard for the rule of law, for the authority of local government and for the safety of the communities we serve,” she said during a news conference condemning the appearances and arrests Thursday afternoon.

She called the targeting of domestic courts “particularly egregious and disgraceful.”

“Survivors seeking justice and safety should not be intimidated or forced to worry about the safety of their families when they take the courageous step of seeking help,” Preckwinkle said. “That’s not justice and it makes our communities less safe.”

The courthouse appearances come even as the most visible immigration confrontations have faded since the height of the Trump administration’s Operation Midway Blitz in the fall.

On March 10, someone who appeared at the domestic violence courthouse was followed by immigration agents and taken into custody a few blocks away, public defender’s office spokesperson Matt Hendrickson said Thursday.

In Thursday’s incident, the agents checked in with deputies at the courthouse but were apparently informed about the state law and did not immediately make an arrest.

The three arrested people were attending court as “accused people” and are believed to still be in immigration detention, Grace said.

The continued presence of agents around courthouses spotlights a largely untested state law that codifies a 1,000-foot “safe zone” around courthouses for people involved in court proceedings, free from civil arrests, in an attempt to limit potential disruptions to court activities. Under the law, signed by Gov. JB Pritzker in December, individuals can sue federal officers for knowingly violating the Illinois or U.S. constitutions during civil immigration enforcement.

Former Cook County Chief Judge Tim Evans also signed a general order barring civil immigration enforcement, with posted notices still displayed prominently at area courthouses.

Civil immigration enforcement has not often occurred around courthouses to help ensure that defendants and witnesses appear for legal matters. The county’s court buildings, though, have repeatedly been targeted by agents carrying out mandates under the Trump administration to increase arrests and deportations, drawing condemnation from the local legal community.

In particular, agents’ repeated presence at the domestic violence courthouse at 555 W. Harrison St. has drawn concern about whether it would drive away people seeking help there in the form of orders of protection or other services.

“This is an attack on women and on children,” Cook County Commissioner Alma Anaya said during the Thursday news conference, flanked by domestic violence and immigrant advocacy group leaders who advised victims to request virtual hearings and make safety plans before court appearances.

Anaya’s mother is an immigrant who survived domestic violence, she said. “If there was even the slightest risk that she would have been arrested or detained by ICE, I believe that she wouldn’t have sought out safety and justice for her and our family,” Anaya added.

The arrests are “a profound betrayal of justice,” said state Sen. Graciela Guzman. They are being carried out “knowingly,” even as the Trump administration fights the laws barring such requests, showing “contempt for our laws, contempt for our courts and contempt for survivors,” she said.

“It sends a really sick message that your pain will be used against you. We should all be horrified,” she added.

Pressed on how the county should ensure state laws are followed, Preckwinkle touted her efforts to call Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart and Chief Judge Charles Beach about the Thursday courthouse appearance. She did not directly answer when asked if she believes federal immigration agents who break laws should be arrested, a move called for by some activists, but carefully avoided by local leaders, who could spark a constitutional face-off.

“I would hope that these agents would be denied access to facilities,” Preckwinkle said.

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