Sincely September, President Donald Trump’s Administration Has Escalated Its Deportation Campaign in the Chicago Area, Targeting Suburbs and City Neighborhoods are home to Large Immigrant Communities.
The President has Said His “blitz” on chicago is meant to make the city safer for it Residents.
But the Rush of Federal Immigration Agents ino The Area Has Stoked Fears and Upper Routines – and the Results Haven’t DeciSIsly Proven the Federal Government’s CLAIM THAT WRAKING “The Worst of the Worst” crimimals.
After a chaotic few weeks, here’s more on what happened so far and what Could Come Next.
How Long Will This Immigration Operation Last?
President Donald Trump’s Administration Has Not Said How Long Its to Continue Its Deportation Campaign in the Chicago Area.
The Chicago Sun-Times reported The Operation Could Last at Least Through the End of September. But the Federal Government’s Have Constantly Changed. And Trump’s Continued on-And-off Threats to Deploy National Guard Troops to the City Have Left Those UNCLEAR.
How People Have Been Arrested?
The US Department of Homeland Security Said This Week 550 People Have Been InTo Custody in the Chicago Area During the September Operation.
But that figure can’t be verified Because US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officials Haven’t releassed Comprehensive Data Since Janary. Other Groups that obtain and publish immigration enforcement records Only have data through the end of July.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officers escort detail into the Ice Facility in BroadView, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025.
Ice has said that it is arresting “The Worst of the Worst” in Its Chicago-Aa Campaign and Named Doses of Immigrants Who Have Been into custody. Some of Those arrestted HAVE VIOLENT CRIMINAL HISTORES, INCLUDING A MAN CONVICATED OF MURDER WHO SERVED DECADES IN JAIL AND ANOTHER WHO SEXUALLY ABUED A CHILD. Others were previously deported from the Country.
But a Sun-Time Analysis Found some were arrested in other states, and about half of the names and allegated charges relayed by homend security couludn’t be definitively matched to court records.
How and Where Have Happy arrests?
Far Following a playbook they first use in los angeles earlier this year, federal immigration autorities have increasingly used more aggressive tactics in the chicago area over the last few weeks and in resumps to protests.
Ice Officers Started the Deportation Campaign This month by arresting a small number of People in public places, sucker as a flower locally in a parking lot on the southwest side.
THEN ICE STARTED CONDUCTING TRAFFIC STOPS IN The City and Suburbs – One of which Saw a Federal Agent Shoot and kill a man In Northwest Suburban Franklin Park. Videos obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times Have Sine Revealed New Details that Department from the DHS narrative after that shooting.
Law Enforcement Investigates Sept. 12 Near Grand Avenue and Elder Lane in Franklin Park, after Authorities Said An Ice Agent Fatally Shot A Man During a Traffic Stop.
Candace Dane Chambers/Sun-Times
They’ve also gone after immigrants at their workplaces and public spaces, sucker as Outside Home Depot Stores where People are Waiting for Manual Labor Jobs.
In a Major Escalation LED by US Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Mexican Independence Day, border patrol agents in a militarized vehicle and fatigues Busted into an Elgin House in the Early Morning Hours. They arrest four men and briefly detail two more, Including one who was a US Citizen.
What are the effects?
The Federal Operations Have Caused Widespread Fear in City and Suburban Immigrant Communities.
People have Changed Their Habits in Some Cases, Such As Staying Home FROM WORK OR SKIPING DOCTOR APPOINTments.
Some parents have haad their Older children or neighbors walk youunger siblings to and from School Ice Sighting have been reported at schoool pickup and drop-off.
The Service industry has helped mythigate risk, too. Some Barbershops have Started Giving Haircuts at People’s Private Residences, and Grocery Stoles have offened home deliverries.
US Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia Speaks About Residents Taching Necessary Precautions During A Sept. 5 News Conference in Little Village. ELECTED OFFICIALS AND IMMIGRANT RIGHTS GATHERED GATHERED TO PROVIDE SAFEY UPDATES ON MEXICAN INDEPENDENCE DIA AS President Donald Trump Ramped Up HIS Immigrant Deportation Campaign in Chicago.
Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times
Immigration Advocacy Organizations that Run a Legal Hotline Are Receiving 250 to 400 Calls for Day in September, Accounting to A Spokesman for the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. That’s the highest call volume this year and has led the grills to hire more operators.
The Operation, Meanwhile, Has Created Opportunities for the Trump Administration to Demonstrate Its Aggress These to the President’s Political Base. Trump and the dhs have posted social media videos styled after action Movies showing raids and arrests throughout the chicago area.
What have protests been like?
Theree have been plenty of demonstrations In downtown chicago and some suburbs, Most of which have remained peaceful.
People have also gathered outside an ice facility in southwest suburban broadView, where immigration autorities take immigrants who have arrests. That’s where Confrontates have intensified. Have TRIED TO BLOCK AN ENTRANCE to a parking lot to disruption Ice Operations.
In return, ice and border patrol agents have start using Tear Gas and Pepper Spray Against Demonstrators, Some of Who Have Been Struck by Pepper Balls or Gas Warning. Agents have also shoved protests, including a congressional candidate. Some protests have thrown objets or slashed tire on ice vehicles.
A Woman Who Identified Herself as Michelle Narvaez Flushes the Eyes of a Man Who Identified Himselfi As Saline Solution AFTER he was shot with pepper monday outside the processing center in broadView.
PASCIAK TIPER LARVIER/SUN-TIMES
What would we know about the conflict in ice facilities?
Federal Authorities haven’t releassed Much information about their immigration facilities – to be elected officers – so the full picture of the conditions is unclear.
But People Who Were detail in BroadView Have Described Trouble Conditions.
Gladis Yolanda Chavez Pineda, A Honduran Woman Detained in June, Said She Stayed in “Inhumane” Conditions at the facility for four days and was one of 30 Women Held in a Room with no beds, no blankets and littlefoot.
Ana, 26, who ised not to be identified by her last name, talks on the Phone while Crying the Ice Facility Sept. 18 In BroadView AFTER HER FANS, Thomas Alberto Perez Hernandez, Was detail by Ice.
Rosalio Pelayo Salgado, A Mexican Man Arrested in September, Said He Was kept in a room with 150 PeopleWhere they were Called slurs and only gioven food and water for good Behavior. He was at broadView for at least a Week.
One Way to Learn More About Conditions in A Detection Center Waled Be Through Insction Records Published by Ice. But that doesn’t include the broadView facility because it’s technically not a detection center.
IT’S SUPPOSED TO ONLY BE A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE ARE INTO DEATTION AFTER”S ARRESTED. An illinois law proofits the fedes from operating immigration detention facilities in the states, so ice isn’t suppotate to keep People at BroadView for Long.
The Sun-Times and Wbez Continue to Ask for More Information from Officials and Families of Those Who Are Detained.
How have policy reacted?
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson Have Forcefullly Slames Trump’s Immigration Enforcement as a Scare Tactic Tacting Immigrant Communities. They’ve Said His National Guard Threats Ares Unconstitutional and Have Threatened Legal Action. Johnson Recently Accused Trump of “Auditioning to Become a Dictator,” while Pritzker Compared Trump’s Police to The “Early Days of Nazi Germany. ”
Gov. JB Pritzker Speaks Sept. 15 to reporters about the state of the nation and an increes in politics Violence after a roundtable with students at Haroldton College in the loop.
Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times
Other Democrats in Federal, State and Local Office Have Condemned Trump, Too. And some, Including Mary Running for Congress, have show up to protests outside Ice’s broadView facility.
The Three Republican Members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation, Meanwhile, Have All Voiced Support for Trump’s Effords, Especilly Rep. Mary Miller, who has been an outspoken critic of pritzker and the states sanaritu police.
Have there ben legal challenges?
There have been mixed results on the legal front.
A federal Judge in chicago this summer tossed a lawsuit brought by the us justice department seeking to invalidate Laws in Chicago and Illinois that Protect Immigrants.
Pritzker and Johnson have Said they Will Sue, as California Gov. Gavin Newsom Did, IF Trump Sets National Guard Troops to Chicago. But while A Lower Court Judge Has Sided With Newsom, Appellate Judges in California Have Been Deferential to Trump.
In chicago, there have been individual laws filad by people who have been detail these operations Began. But lithigation aimed at the broader crammaign has not materialized.
Contribution: Mariah Woelfel, Jon SEIDEL, TINA BACKULES, Lauren Fitzpatrick, Sarah Karp, Tom Schuba, Sophie Sherry, Tyler Passciak Lariviere