The Elgin Civilian Review Board has recommended police Officer Jason Lentz be fired for a “malicious and inflammatory” Facebook post in which he suggested local places where federal agents might find undocumented immigrants. Lentz’s action was a “violation of standard operation procedures go verning professional conduct, social media use and bias-free policing,” Civilian Review Board member Jose Bosque said via email Wednesday. The comment was posted “during a period of heightened national tensions involving federal actions against Hispanic communities, caused significant stress and alienation within Elgin’s large Hispanic population (and) severely damaged the department’s reputation,” Bosque said. The board’s recommendation was made at its meeting Tuesday. Police Chief Ana Lalley said Lentz remains on paid administrative leave and that the board’s action is part of a “process that’s in motion.” She declined to comment further. The recommendation is among the things Lalley will consider when making a final determination on what, if any, disciplinary action should be taken. Lentz, a 28-year police department veteran, posted his Facebook comment on Oct. 5 along with an “I Stand With ICE” emblem, referring to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In it he wrote, “If I were ICE I woulnd’t check La Movida at 849 N State St in Elgin for illegals. Definately none there! Also I wouldn’t check the flea market where the old Milk Pail was at 14N630 Rt 25 in West Dundee, there’s no way you’d find any there. Also wouldn’t check The Elgin Mall of East Dundee which is located at 535 Dundee Ave in East Dundee, I guarantee ther’s n illegals there either! @Department of Homeland Security @U.S. Customs and Border Control.” The message, Bosque said in his email, “set back years of (the police department’s) hard-earned progress in cultivating a strong, collaborative partnership between law enforcement and our diverse community, and demonstrated conduct wholly incompatible with the professionalism, integrity and zero-tolerance standards we uphold to maintain public trust.” Per the police union contract, members who are disciplined have the right to take their case to arbitration — something that’s already happened once with Lentz. In 2014, he was fired for a social media post about the death of an unarmed 18-year-old Black man shot by Ferguson, Missouri, police officers. In it he wrote, “Hmmm…innocent victim my ass. Did society a favor.” An arbitrator overturned the police chief’s decision in 2015. Lentz was instead given a six-month suspension without pay for disregarding orders to take the post down and returned to his job. Lentz’s October post was made during Operation Midway Blitz, when the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and ICE conducted targeted raids throughout the Chicago area, including one in Elgin attended by DHS director Kristi Noem, who posted video from it on social media. Since then, tensions have been high in Elgin and around the country as federal agents’ tactics have grown more aggressive. Most recently, two Minneapolis residents, both U.S. citizens, were shot to death during ICE actions. Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News. ...read more read less