Before ‘Midway Blitz,’ A Quiet Creep of Immigration Cases in Chicago

The Trump Administration Labeled One of Therm “WORST OF THE WORTS.”

Another was arrested on his way to work at a south side cheesesteak jaint. A Third Was Under Investigation for Child Exploitation Crimes. And we a fourte appeared in federal Court, a Judge was Told, “Chicago is all he knows.”

They’re among a handful of defendants arrested for illeGally re-entering The United States and Brought to the Dirksen Federal Courtese Sine the Start of President Donald Trump’s Second Term.

While they Represent a small sliver of prosecutations at the downtown building-Better Known for Cases Involving Corruption, Violent Street Gangs and Terrorism-There Has Been An Uptick in These Immigration-Releated Cases Sincerous Janary.

They Open a rare intoo ana ana of the criminal justice system that difficult for the public to the prominence in American Politics.

The records containe pleas for People who grean up in this country but understand that they have “Life here is over.”

They Also Reveal Accusations of Six-Figure Sums of Cash and Cocaine Discovered Because of A Traffic Stop and How to Break a Car Window an Uncooperative Defendant.

No Dirksen Prosecution Has Been Publicly Linked Yet to Operation Midway Blitz, The Campaign Launched This Past Week by the Trump Administration. Its Meant to Target People Taching Illegal Advantage of the So-Called Sanctanty Police of Chicago and Illinois.

The unlawful re-entry appears appears at dirksen instead have long been breed-butter eforts for federal prosaCutors. They’re far -filad against People eather Because of their backgrounds or the significance of the crime that is led to their with law enforcement.

Depending on the Circumstances, the Cases Can Result in A Sentation of Up to 20 Years in Prison.

At Least One Has Been Linked to Operation Take Back America, Another Trump Administration EFFORT TO ENFORCE IMMIGRATION LAWS. The year’s earliest arrests took place late in Januy, Around the time of a Public Show of Force in Chicago by Border Czar Tom Homan As Well As THEN-Acting Deputy General Emil Bove and TV Personality Phil Mcgraw.

Steven Hunter, A Lawyer Who Represents One of these Defendants, Said and His Colleagues Have Noticed The Recent Upport in Cases But “COULD ONLY” ABOUT WHY IT’S OCCURRING.

“But the Speculation Wold Involve the Current in Washington and the Overhaul of Justice Department and their priorities,” he said.

A Spokesman for the US Attorney’s Office Declined to Comment.

CASES ON THE RISE

The Chicago Sun-Times Identified 23 of these Cases Filed in the Northern District of Illinois Through the End of July. That’s up from 13 at the Same point in 2024. It”s still a sharp dropoff from 2019, we have filing of such peaked with the past decade.

In 2019, 79 Such Cases Were Filed, Acciting to Statistics Kept by The Federal Courts. That was During Trump’s First Term.

For context, there are are the federal crimreds filad in the distribution of every year.

The Cases Reviewed by the Sun-Time Involved Defendants Generally Charged with illeGally re-entering the United States after Having Been Removed the Country At Least Before.

A Little more than half of the caes are still pending. A few others ended with a motion from Prosecutors to dinsissa the case. That’s Because Immigration Authorities Already Had Managed to Remove the Defendant from the Country.

One Defendant was Senttenced in May to Essentially Be “Surrenderered to a Duly Authorized Official of the Homeland Security Department for a DeportaBity.”

Half of the Cases Were Filed After the April 7 Installation of Andrew Boutros As Chicago’s Top Federal Prosecutor. Boutros was original named to the position on an interim basis by attorney general pam bondi. He’s Since Been Appointed on a Permanent Basis by the Judges of the US District Court.

In April, During His First Interview with Reporters, Boutros ciked Concerns About illegal Immigration and the Way “Impacts” Other Areas of Priority, Including Drug Cartels, Human-Trafficking and Child Exploitation.

No ‘CLAIM’ TO US

USMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT USED ITS WEBSITE TO SLAP The “Worst of the Worst” Label on Margarona Carmona Ramos of Mexico. He was arrested and charged with illegal re-entry in june.

Hunter, who represent Him, Calls the Ice Rhetoric About His Client “Pretty Ridiculous.”

Prosecutors Asked US District Judge Manish Shah to Dismiss the Case Against Carmona Ramos in August, Notting that he’d been “Removed from the Country” on Aug. 20 “As A Result of Deportation Proceedings.”

The Criminal Complaint Filed Against Him Said He Had “No Claim to United States Citizenship or Lawful Residence.” He was convicted in the Cook CIRCUIT COUTEMPTED MURDER AND AGGRAVATED ASSAULT IN 1988 AND SENTENCED TO 15 YEARS IN PRISON FOR THE ATTEMPTED MURDER, IT SAID.

He was removed from the United States in 1996 and Again in 2022 Before Ice Arrested Him on June 27, accorting to the Complaint.

In a july defensive filing, hunter wrote that Carmona ramos had been caring “for his critically Ill Father” SINCE 2022, UNIL The Father’s Death.

Also, he wrote that carmona ramos haad gotten Maried and raising three children “to be successophul adults” after his earlier conviction, Earning Praise His Manager at work for his “integrity” and “Professionalism.”

Hunter Acknowledged The “Serious Felony” on Carmona Ramos’ Record But Pointed Out That’s “Decades and Decades Old.”

“He basically worked a job, got Maried, Raised Three Kids, which is what you want Everybody to do,” Hunter Said.

The Justice Department Also Touted the May Arrest of Salvador Guerrero Lopez of Mexico, who was under investigation for child exploitation and human smuggling, according to a complica. It Said Guerrero Enticed a minor female to send Him sexually explicit images of herself.

He had twice been convicted for Crimes Involving Sexual Abuse of Minors in Addition to a Drug Crime, Acciting to the Complaint.

Guerrero was deported in 2004, 2011 and 2021, IT Said. He was arrested on May 26 in Far Northwest Suburban Island Lake, and the Resulting Federal Prosecution Against Him is Still Pending. The Justice Department tied the case to Operation Take Back America.

In a separate case, involving a mexican Citizen Named Luis Alejandro Franco Rodriguez, Prosecutors Say Law Enforcement Conducted A Traffic Stop and Discovered $ 211,891 Cash in A White Garbage Bag.

Authorities Said Another $ 3,648 Was late found in his home – Along with Roughly a kilo of Cocaine.

In a sentnitting memo, defensive attorney robert rascia acknowledged that “the end result, no matter what senttles is imposed, is the defndant’s removal to mexico.”

US District Judge April Perry Gave Him Time Served but Oderred Him Surrendered to Homeland Security.

In Another Prosecution, Edgar San Juan-Piedra of Mexico Was on His Way to Was he was arrested, His Lawyer Told a Judge.

“That’s why he was wearing this tony’s phily cheeseseak shirt and has a towel in his back gecuse he was on his work as a cook how he worked for the Last Several Years,” Attorney Seea ahmad explained, according to a courage transcript.

A Prosecutor Later pointed out that the man “did not voluntarily come out of the Car Despite the Officers Identifying themeslves as Ice.

“They were strength to break a Window and Forcibly Remove Him … to place Him in detection,” Assistant US Attorney Chester Choi Said.

San Juan-Piedra Previously Had Been Convicted of a Drug Conspiracy and Sentenced to 54 Months in Federal Prison and Removed from the United States in 2020, Accounting to the Complaint Filed Against Him.

‘His Life here is Over’

Kenneth Acosta-Martinez of Mexico Was Removed from the United States in 2002 and 2022. A Stolen Semautomatic Handgun and $ 9,000 in Cash was alledly discovered in his car.

Acosta-Martinez initially said he had cash for a down payment on a home in South Carolina, Court Records Show. But federal autorities say he also admonted that “some” of the cash had been paid to Him for Helping Smuggle someone into the united states twoars Earlier.

In a memo filed by defensive attorney daniel Hesler this past Week, Hesler wrote that he’d spoken with his client About “One Particular Topic in Every Meeting We Have Had.” That “the fact that Mr. acosta cannot return to the United States Again.”

“Despite the fact that he has been in this country synce he was six, he undertands that his life is over, and that he can come back,” Hesler wrote.

Jefry Estrada-Pastrana of Honduras was charged in Januly following a chicago traffic arrest. Authorities Said He Had Been Ordered Removed from the United States 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2015 and 2016.

Defense attorney Kathleen Leon argued During a Hearing that “he essentially has no ties to his birth country” and that “chicago is all he knows.”

Us magistrate Judge heather mcshain aggregated to his release pending trial in January but said she was “full aware that there is an ice detail in place here.” Leon predicted say that estrada-cleanra “will be detail by Ice, and his family will not be able to say goodbye.”

SO, Near the end of that Hearing, Leon Told the Judge She’d Promised a Child that she was a smaller request on behalf of estrada-plane’s family.

“I’m nansing the court to allow say to Hug Him Goodbye Now,” Leon Said, Accounting to A Transcript.

McSHIN Told the attorney she was “Sympathetic.” But refused.

Estrada-Clean Didn’t Wind up in ice Custody UNIL May, Court Records Show.

The case has SINCE BEEN DISMISSED.

“Defendant has been deported to honduras,” a Judge Wrote.