DAKAR, Senegal — Being gay in Morocco is illegal and punishable by up to three years in prison. But it was the violence from her family that forced Farah, a 21-year-old gay woman, to flee the country.
After a long journey to the United States and a third-country deportation by the Trump administration, however, Farah said she is now back in Morocco and in hiding.
“It is hard to live and work with the fear of being tracked once again by my family,” she told The Associated Press, in a rare testimony from a person deported via a third country despite having protection orders from a U.S. immigration judge. “But there is nothing I can do. I have to work.”
She asked to be identified by her first name only for fear of persecution. The AP saw her protection order and lawyers verified parts of her account.
Farah said that before she fled, she was beaten by her family and the family of her partner when they found out about their relationship. She was kicked out of the family home and fled with her partner to another city. She said her family found her and tried to kill her.
Through a friend, she and her partner heard about the opportunity to get visas for Brazil and fly there with the aim of reaching the United States, where they had friends. From Brazil, she trekked through six countries for weeks to reach the U.S. border, where they asked for asylum.
“You get put in situations that are truly horrible,” she recalled. “When we arrived (at the U.S. border), it felt like it was worth the trouble and that we got to our goal.”
They arrived in early 2025. But instead of finding the freedom to be herself, Farah said she was detained for almost a year, first in Arizona, then in Louisiana.
“It was very cold,” she said of detention. “And we only had very thin blankets.” Medical care was inadequate, she said.
She was denied asylum, but in August she received a protection order from an U.S. immigration judge, who ruled she cannot be deported to Morocco because that would endanger her life. Her partner, denied asylum and a protection order, was deported.
Farah said she was three days from a hearing on her release when she was handcuffed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and put on a plane to an African country she had never visited, and one where homosexuality is illegal: Cameroon. She was put in a detention facility.
“They asked me if I wanted to stay in Cameroon, and I told them that I can’t stay in Cameroon and risk my life in a place where I would still be endangered,” she said. She was flown to Morocco.
Most deportees had protection orders
She is one of dozens of people confirmed to be deported from the U.S. by the Trump administration to third countries despite having legal protection from U.S. immigration judges. The real number is unknown.
The administration has used third-country deportations to pressure migrants who are in the U.S. illegally to leave on their own, saying they could end up “in any number of third countries.”
The detention facility in Cameroon’s capital of Yaounde, where Farah was held, currently has 15 deportees from various African countries who arrived on two flights, and none is Cameroonian, according to lawyer Joseph Awah Fru, who represents them.
Eight of the deportees on the first flight in January, including Farah, had received a judge’s protection orders, said Alma David, an immigration lawyer with the U.S.-based Novo Legal Group who has helped deportees and verified Farah’s case. The AP spoke to a woman from Ghana and a woman from Congo, who both said they had protection orders, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation.
Another flight on Monday brought eight more people. Three freelance journalists reporting on the deportations to Cameroon for the AP were briefly detained there.
Deporting people to a third country where they could be sent home was effectively a legal “loophole,” said David.
“By deporting them to Cameroon, and giving them no opportunity to contest being sent to a country whose government hoped to quietly send them back to the very countries where they face grave danger, the U.S. not only violated their due process rights but our own immigration laws, our obligations under international treaties and even DHS’ own procedures,” David said.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security earlier confirmed there were deportations to Cameroon in January.
“We are applying the law as written. If a judge finds an illegal alien has no right to be in this country, we are going to remove them. Period,” it said, and asserted that the third-country agreements “ensure due process under the U.S. Constitution.”
Asked about the deportations to Cameroon, the U.S. State Department on Friday told the AP it had “no comment on the details of our diplomatic communications with other governments.” It did not reply to further questions.
Cameroon’s Foreign Ministry didn’t respond to a request for comment.
‘Impossible choices’
Farah was one of two women from the first group of deportees to return to Morocco.
“They were given two impossible choices,” David said, and asserted that claiming asylum was not clearly presented as one of them. “This was before the lawyer had access to them.”
She said International Organization for Migration staff in the facility did not give them any indication that there was a viable option other than going back to their home countries.
Fru said he has not been granted access to the deportees. He said the assistant to the country director for the IOM, a U.N.-affiliated organization, told him he must apply to speak to them. Fru plans to do that Monday.
The IOM told the AP it was “aware of the removal of migrants from the United States of America to some African countries” and added that it “works with people facing difficult decisions about whether to return to their country of origin.” It said its role is providing accurate information about options and ensuring that “anyone who chooses to return does so voluntarily.”
The IOM said the facility in Yaounde was managed by the authorities in Cameroon. It did not respond to further questions.
African nations are paid millions
Cameroon is one of at least seven African nations to receive deported third-country nationals in a deal with the U.S. Others include South Sudan, Rwanda, Uganda, Eswatini, Ghana and Equatorial Guinea.
Some have received millions of dollars in return, according to documents released by the State Department. Details of other agreements, including the one with Cameroon, have not been released.
The Trump administration has spent at least $40 million to deport about 300 migrants to countries other than their own, according to a report released last week by the Democratic staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
According to internal administration documents reviewed by the AP, 47 third-country agreements are in various stages of negotiation.
In Morocco, Farah said it was hard to hear U.S. officials refer to people like her as a threat.
“The USA is built on immigration and by immigrant labor, so we’re clearly not all threats,” she said. “What was done to me was unfair. A normal deportation would have been fair, but to go through so much and lose so much, only to be deported in such a way, is cruel.”
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration spent at least $40 million to deport roughly 300 migrants to countries other than their own as immigration officials expanded the practice over the last year to carry out President Donald Trump’s goals of quickly removing immigrants from the U.S., according to a report compiled by the Democratic staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
The Democrats on the Foreign Relations panel, led by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, criticize the practice of third country deportations as “costly, wasteful and poorly monitored” in the report and call for “serious scrutiny of a policy that now operates largely in the dark.”
The State Department, which oversees the negotiations to implement the programs, has stood behind the practice of third country deportations and defended it as a part of Trump’s campaign to end illegal immigration.
“We’ve arrested people that are members of gangs and we’ve deported them. We don’t want gang members in our country,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio responded when asked about some of the third country deportations at a Senate hearing last month.
The report, which is the first congressional review of the agreements, found lump sum payments ranging between $4.7 million and $7.5 million to five countries – Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda, El Salvador, Eswatini and Palau – to deport migrants to those nations. El Salvador has received about 250 Venezuelan nationals in March last year, while the other nations received far fewer deportees, ranging from 29 sent to Equatorial Guinea to none sent to Palau so far, according to the report.
The nations examined in the report are just a fraction of the Trump administration’s overall work to deport migrants to third countries. According to internal administration documents reviewed by The Associated Press, there are 47 third-country agreements at various stages of negotiation. Of those, 15 have been concluded and 10 are at or near conclusion.
The administration is also negotiating agreements with countries that will accept U.S. asylum seekers while their asylum claims are processed, according to the internal documents. There are 17 that are at various stages of negotiation, including 9 that have formally taken effect, although the administration claims that the agreements do not necessarily need to be concluded for people to be sent there.
Immigration advocacy groups have criticized the “third country” policy as a reckless tactic that violates due process rights and can strand deportees in countries with long histories of human rights violations and corruption.
During a visit to South Sudan, Democratic committee staff found a gated house with armed guards where deportees were held, including migrants from Vietnam and Mexico.
The Democrats also largely take aim at how wasteful and ineffective the policy may be. It details several instances of migrants being deported to a third country, only for the U.S. to later pay for another flight to return the migrant to their home country.
“In many cases, migrants could have been returned directly to their countries of origin, avoiding unnecessary flights and additional costs,” said Shaheen in a statement also signed by Democratic Sens. Chris Coons, Tammy Duckworth, Tim Kaine, Jack Rosen and Chris Van Hollen.
It also remains unclear what benefits the countries may receive – or expect – in return for accepting third-country nationals.
After an agreement was in place last year, South Sudan sent a list of requests to Washington that included American support for the prosecution of an opposition leader and sanctions relief for a senior official accused of diverting over a billion dollars in public funds, according to diplomatic communications made public by the State Department in January.
Shaheen has also questioned a $7.5 million payment sent to Equatorial Guinea that came at the same time the Trump administration was developing ties with the country’s vice president, Teodoro “Teddy” Nguema Obiang. He is notorious among world leaders accused of corruption for a lavish lifestyle that has attracted the attention of prosecutors in several countries.
CHICAGO (WLS) — Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order on Saturday morning, directing Chicago police to investigate any alleged illegal activity by federal immigration agents.
During the signing, Johnson said the city must prepare for federal agents to potentially return to Chicago in the spring.
Under the “ICE On Notice” order, if CPD personnel observe or receive reports of alleged violations of state or local law by federal agents, they must:
Document federal enforcement activities in accordance with CPD policy;
Ensure that any body camera footage captured during the incident – including footage of any use of force, detentions, injuries, or other enforcement activity – is preserved;
Seek to identify the federal supervisory officer on scene, attempt to verify the supervisory officer’s name and badge number, and record the credential verification using body-cameras-including any refusal to comply;
Complete a report on any violation of state or local law by federal agents consistent with CPD policy;
Immediately summon emergency medical services and render aid to any injured person on the scene
CPD must also provide any evidence of alleged felony violations to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, the order states. Additionally, CPD must share data on federal immigration officers’ alleged legal violations with the pubic.
Johnson’s office says his executive order makes Chicago “the first city in the nation to leverage local authority to pursue legal accountability for misconduct by federal immigration agents.”
“Nobody is above the law. There is no such thing as ‘absolute immunity’ in America,” Johnson said in a statement. “The lawlessness of Trump’s militarized immigration agents puts the lives and well-being of every Chicagoan in immediate danger. With today’s order, we are putting ICE on notice in our city. Chicago will not sit idly by while Trump floods federal agents into our communities and terrorizes our residents.”
Witnesses say a man and a woman in a red car were following agents to warn people of their presence.
That’s when, bystanders say, agents slammed on their brakes causing the people in the car to crash into the agent’s vehicle.
The Department of Homeland Security accused people who watched the incident happen of being “aggressive,” saying in part, “As agents tried to make a U-turn, the red car crashed into Border Patrol. A hostile crowd surrounded agents and their vehicle, and began verbally abusing them and spitting on them.”
Neighbors say a man and a woman were then dragged out of a car. ABC7 blurred their faces because we do not know if they have been charged.
Cellphone video shows one agent punching the man on the ground. At one point, an agent appears to pull out a gun on a bystander and threatens to pepper spray him.
“I was appalled that, by a block from my home, people were dragged out of their car by masked men, some not masked, and beaten in the face,” said Evanston resident Kate LeVan.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin wrote on X, “The individual arrested in this video assaulted and kicked Border Patrol agents. As he was being arrested, here, he aggressively grabbed the agent’s genitals and wouldn’t let go. The agent delivered several defensive strikes to free his genitals from the perp’s grasp.”
Biss says the Evanston Police Department is actively investigating the matter.
“So, our police right now, exploring options about whether the right course of action is to work with the Cook County state’s attorney to press charges like that or refer, instead, perhaps, to the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, but there’s an open investigation, and they’re gathering evidence and figuring out the best course of action,” Biss said.
Biss went on to say immigration operations have impacted their schools and caused fear among students. On Friday, outdoor recess was canceled as federal agents were in the area.
Meanwhile, over in Broadview, four people have been arrested Saturday in connection with protests outside of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility there, police said. They are facing charges such as Resisting, Disorderly Conduct, Disobeying to a Police Officer and Simple Assault.
DHS issued a statement on the events in Evanston Friday, saying, “Today, U.S. Border Patrol conducted immigration enforcement operations in Evanston and Skokie, Illinois, that resulted in the arrest of five illegal aliens from Mexico, whose criminal histories include criminal trespass and multiple illegal entries into the country. All of these individuals have broken the immigration laws of our nation.
During an operation at Oakton Street and Ashbury Avenue in Evanston, agents observed they were being aggressively tailgated by a red vehicle. As agents tried to make a U-turn, the red car crashed into Border Patrol. A hostile crowd surrounded agents and their vehicle, and began verbally abusing them and spitting on them. As Border patrol arrested one individual, who actively resisted arrest, pepper spray was deployed spray to deter the agitator and disperse the crowd. Three U.S. citizens were arrested as a result of their violence against law enforcement.
“This incident is not isolated and reflects a growing and dangerous trend of violence and obstruction. Over the past several days, we’ve seen an increase in assaults and deliberate vehicle rammings targeting federal law enforcement during operations. These confrontations highlight the dangers our agents face daily and the escalating aggression toward law enforcement. The violence must end.”
Evanston police also issued a statement Friday, saying, “The Evanston Police Department responded Friday, Oct. 31, to several reports of federal agents conducting deportation operations throughout the city. Police supervisors responded to these reports; in only one instance did officers find federal agents on scene upon arrival.
At approximately 12:25 p.m., Evanston Police responded to reports from citizens and federal agents regarding a traffic crash in which a civilian vehicle rear-ended a federal vehicle. The crash led to a disturbance at the scene.
Preliminary information indicates that the driver of the civilian vehicle was taken into custody by federal agents. During that arrest, a confrontation occurred between community members and the agents, reportedly resulting in one or two additional arrests. Evanston Police officers worked to stabilize the scene and prevent further conflict between community members and federal agents.
Prior to police arrival, pepper spray appears to have been deployed. Evanston Fire Department paramedics responded to provide medical care for individuals exposed to pepper spray.
Evanston Police did not make any arrests and currently have no one in custody. The incident remains under investigation.
The Evanston Police Department will review this incident for referral to the Illinois Attorney General’s Office. If you have information, including video or other evidence, please contact the Evanston Police Detective Bureau at 847-866-5040.”
Footage from West Town Friday morning showed a federal agent breaking the driver’s side window of a car and detaining a man inside near West Superior Street and North Paulina Street.
ABC7 blurred his face because we do not know if he has been charged with any crimes.
Neighborhood residents confronted agents, shouting at them and blowing their whistles to alert the community as they detained the man, who was waiting for his pregnant wife outside of a community health center. Local elected officials and the community center say the man is in the country legally on a work permit and had a court date with immigration.
Later, a mid-day confrontation pitted Lakeview neighbors and protesters against masked federal agents. The face-to-face encounter ended with volleys of tear gas sending the residential block spiraling into chaos.
Courtney Conway was among dozens of residents who confronted agents near Lakewood and Henderson after a construction worker at a home was arrested.
“My eyes were burning. It did not feel great. They still burn a bit today,” Conway said. “There were some neighbors bringing out water for us to flush out our eyes.”
Doorbell camera video showed agents rolling up and workers, who’d been having lunch, running for cover. One closed and braced against a gate as agents tried to push through. Another was helped through a window to elude agents.
The stepped up ICE activity on the North Side disrupting the school day at Burr Elementary and other schools as multiple arrests played out on nearby streets.
CPS parents and 32nd Ward Alderman Scott Waguespack confirmed a handful of schools in the Bucktown-Wicker Park area were placed on soft lockdown. That meant no outdoor recess, in response to ICE arrests in the neighborhood.
“The kids aren’t playing outside because there’s been a huge amount of ICE presence in the neighborhood, just driving up and down the streets, just kind of terrorizing the neighborhood,” CPS parent Nicole Van Haperbeke said. “Why? It’s a peaceful, beautiful Friday.”
ABC7 obtained multiple videos from Bucktown-Wicker Park residents showing arrests in and around the neighborhood. At least one showed a gardener who a resident says was hired to plant a tree in her backyard.
“I just asked them not to arrest him,” Bucktown resident Donna Kirchman said. “I said, ‘Please leave him alone.’ And they didn’t. I believe they took his phone, and then they took him.”
Heavily armed agents also arrested a man sitting in a vehicle, who witnesses said works at a nearby car dealership.
“It’s terrifying, and we knew that they were going to come to Bucktown,” resident Laura Dufour said. “They’ve been all over the city.”
Those agents were later seen driving around vehicles that had stopped and clipping a woman. Alderman Waguespack says he’s been inundated with messages and witnessed first-hand what he claimed were ICE agents driving dangerously in the neighborhood.
“We saw them backing up into intersections where we’ve got daycare children walking across the street,” Waguespack said. “You’ve got mothers with strollers. You’ve got a fun run right up here at St. Mary’s, and they’re driving without stopping at stop signs, blowing through alleys.”
In light of the school lockdowns Mayor Brandon Johnson is urging Governor JB Pritzker to allow for a remote option for CPS students. That’s something the state has to sign off on, but the governor says he’s opposed to that idea because of the impact it could have on the students’ education.
Also, Laugh Factory posted on social media on Friday, saying the Lakeview comedy club’s night manager was detained by “masked federal agents outside of the club.” The business posted footage of the incident to its Facebook account.
Chicago police said officers responded to a report of a battery in the area of Belmont Avenue and Broadway just before 9:20 a.m.
Responding officers saw federal agents and two other individuals in a physical altercation, and a crowd had gathered in the area, police said.
Police said officers worked to deescalate and conduct crowd control. CPD did not make any arrests and left the scene once the area was cleared.
No further information about the incident from federal authorities was available.
Multiple alderpersons on the North Side issued alerts about more reported ICE activity on Friday.
Ald. Daniel La Spata, who represents the 1st Ward, said on Friday morning, there have been “numerous confirmed sightings of ICE” throughout the West Town community area, including neighborhoods surrounding Ukrainian Village, Wicker Park, and the Humboldt Park border.
Ald. Timmy Knusden, who represents the 43rd Ward, said community members on Friday have “reported ICE sightings and suspected enforcement activity at the following locations:
Cleveland/Belden
2600 N Racine
440 W Belden
Reports of 2 unmarked SUVs driving north on Halsted with masked drivers
Lincoln/Racine/Diversey
Racine/Drummond
Lill/Seminary
Wrightwood/Racine”
Wicker Park’s A.N. Pritzker School also said it was on soft lockdown Friday, and all after-school programs, with the exception of Wicker Park Kids and Apollo, were canceled.
Tear gas was thrown at Henderson and Lakewood, in a community that had so far has avoided contact with ICE agents.
“The tear gas was deployed by ice without warning and without my neighbors hear from doing anything to provoke that reaction no one was interfering with them they were just exercising the first amendment rights,” 44th Ward Ald. Bennett Lawson said. “This is very disturbing.”
Roaming bands of agents appeared to be targeting communities Friday where immigrants might be working.
“No one gains, people already hurt and you kinda get to see that in real time,” neighborhood resident Donny Donoghue said.
Earlier, protesters gathered outside the ICE processing facility in Broadview once again, as they have done every Friday now for several weeks.
Friday’s demonstration has remained fairly contained to one corner as protesters keep within the safety zone, speaking out against the Trump’s administration’s operation “Midway Blitz” and the recent immigration crackdown in the Chicagoland area.
“I believe that we are creating huge wounds, not only for the people who are being detained, but for the ICE officers who are doing these horrible things. I feel terrible for everybody,” said Mary Kelly, who lives in Oak Park.
Messages left by ABC7 Chicago for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security regarding the North Side operations were not returned.
Immigration operations are also having an impact on the Asian community.
The Chinese American Service League shared a video of federal agents detaining a man outside his home in Bridgeport on Thursday.
CASL claims the father of two was not doing anything illegal. Witnesses say the agents did not present a warrant.
DHS says gang member tried to ram agents with car, defends apparent tear gas use on protesters
DHS said a Latin Kings gang member tried to ram agents with a car in Cicero, IL and defended the apparent use of tear gas during a Chicago protest.
Meanwhile, ABC7 is getting more information from the DHS about recent violent run-ins with federal agents over the past few days.
DHS says Wednesday was one of their most violent days on the job. At 26th and Ogden in Cicero, DHS claims a Latin Kings gang member tried to ram agents with his vehicle.
Six people were arrested that day for impeding operations, and three undocumented immigrants were placed into custody.
And there were more tense moments Thursday at the Little Village Discount Mall during an anti-ICE rally.
Attorneys accused federal agents of violating a court order, which does not allow them to use riot control weapons unless facing an imminent threat and requires them to issue warnings first before deploying tear gas.
A federal complaint is now taking aim at the man who led the charge. An image of Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino appears to show him throw tear gas “without justification,” according to the complaint.
“Federal agents started acting aggressive, pushing protesters away… Again, it was all peaceful protesters,” said protester Kristian Armendariz.
However, DHS says the group of about 75-100 people began firing commercial artillery shell fireworks at agents and throwing rocks, adding that Bovino was hit in the head.
According to DHS, agents repeated multiple warnings to the crowd to back up, informing them that chemical agents would be deployed. The department stood by their agents’ actions, saying, “Agents properly used their training. The use of chemical munitions was conducted in full accordance with CBP policy and was necessary to ensure the safety of both law enforcement and the public.”
Bovino was set to appear in court on Nov. 5 to give a two-hour testimony, but now a federal judge has ordered more than double the time, five hours, to question Bovino after the incidents.
Later Friday, Judge Sara Ellis also ordered Bovino to testify in-person on Tuesday during a status hearing.
No one was arrested, and the agents declined medical attention.
The Department of Homeland Security said the man they were trying to detain had previous arrests for domestic battery.
“ICE and our federal law enforcement partners will continue to enforce the law. And if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” DHS said.
CHICAGO (WLS) — A federal operation on Chicago’s East Side led to a crash, followed by a pursuit, before the situation eventually spilled over into a nearby Walgreens.
That is where 19-year-old South Side native Warren King says he was shopping with friends and family before he was tackled and arrested.
The takedown by immigration officers was recorded outside a Walgreens store as loved ones pled for his release.
King’s relative can be heard saying in the video, “He’s a citizen! He’s a citizen!”
But King says he did not get far from the exit before being tackled to the ground by a federal agent and placed under arrest. He is now left with both physical and mental scars.
“He was just saying, ‘Why are you running?’” King said. “But I’m telling him, ‘I’m a U.S. citizen. I’m here. I’m legal. I’m born here.’ So, they didn’t try to hear none of that, though.”
It all apparently stemmed from a collision, captured on video, at the nearby intersection of 105th and Avenue N.
Video shows Border Patrol agents in a white truck crashing into a red SUV on Tuesday morning.
It happened following a chase that circled the neighborhood for nearly 30 minutes after, the Department of Homeland Security said, the driver, an alleged undocumented immigrant, rammed into their agents’ vehicle.
Border Patrol followed the vehicle for about 30 minutes, and stopped it using a precision immobilization technique, or PIT, maneuver.
Two people, both living in the U.S. without legal permission, tried to run away, DHS said. They were taken into custody.
“Once the vehicle was stopped, the suspects, who are both illegal aliens attempted to flee on foot. As Border Patrol arrested the subjects and attempted to secure the scene a crowd began to form,” DHS said.
King told ABC7 he sat with them both in a car for hours before he was released.
“They just accepted, like, their defeat. It wasn’t no talking in the back between both of them, and they knew each other,” King said. “I just graduated high school. So, they can come for, literally, anybody. And that’s not right.”
A white Expedition and the red SUV were damaged in the crash.
Chopper 7 was over the crash scene at about 12:10 p.m., where a number of unmarked federal vehicles were in the middle of an intersection.
“I went outside, and I just see all the ICE guys on the floor with the guy. Then everybody just started coming out,” local shopkeeper Hector Baldazua said. “First I heard a lot of cars doing circles. I was like, what’s happening?”
Uber driver Eliseo Uribe was driving home.
“The white SUV nearly hit me. I thought they were fighting. But I never imagined they were ICE,” Uribe said in Spanish.
Mostly peaceful bystanders surrounded the dozens of agents in a tense standoff. Some were holding flags and others were holding phones, recording.
They chanted “ICE go home.”
Video shows one teenager being detained. Their attorney says they are a U.S. citizen, and have since been released.
ABC7 Chicago crews on the ground saw some tear gas deployed, after something, possibly eggs, was thrown at agents.
Chicago police said they had responded to the crash just after 11:05 a.m.
CPD had tried to get between federal agents and the residents gathered to deescalate, police said, but then rocks were thrown at the federal agents.
A large amount of tear gas was deployed about 12:40 p.m.
Federal agents used tear gas against a crowd on Chicago’s East Side Tuesday.
Those gathered quickly dispersed.
Federal agents had masks, but CPD did not. Some officers appeared to be affected by the gas.
During the protest, Chicago police said, 13 of their officers were exposed to tear gas while federal agents arrested multiple people, including a 16-year-old boy.
“They just told me, ‘Juanita, you have an emergency. ICE took your son. They beat him up. They body-slammed him. And they took your son,’” Juanita Garnica said. “They haven’t told me anything. He’s not an immigrant. He was born and raised in Chicago.”
Deputy Mayor Beatriz Ponce de Leon arrived in the aftermath.
“There is absolutely no reason to have this kind of chaos happening in our communities, putting people at risk, putting people in harm’s way and exacerbating the fear that people feel right now,” said Ponce de Leon, deputy mayor of Immigrant, Migrant and Refugee Rights.
Homeland Security described what happened as part of a growing trend. They did not say how many people were arrested in total or where they were taken.
“My main concern was getting the vehicles removed from the situation. I thought that would kind of clear up the tensions. I have to worry about how this will spill over in the next few days, next few weeks,” 10th Ward Ald. Peter Chico said.
CHICAGO (WLS) — A Chicago alderperson said federal immigration agents handcuffed her while she was questioning them at a Humboldt Park medical center Friday.
In multiple occasions this week in Chicago, video apparently shows federal officers deploying tear gas. It happened right outside Humboldt Park Hospital.
It’s all part of a sweeping immigration enforcement effort that also saw a father and son arrested in Little Village. However, the family told ABC7 the son is a U.S. citizen.
The activity in Humboldt Park came as Illinois Governor JB Pritzker is now calling for an investigation into how children were treated during a federal raid in South Shore.
Families say kids were zip tied, separated from parents and held for hours.
The governor has ordered state agencies to provide support and look into possible abuse by federal agents.
Ald. Jessie Fuentes said she was at Humboldt Park Health Friday, after there was a report of immigration agents at the facility.
She said when she asked the agents if they had a warrant to make an arrest at the medical center, they would not respond and shoved her.
There has been an increased presence of federal agents across much of Chicago Thursday.
Fuentes said she was later handcuffed and threatened with arrest.
“This is violence,” Fuentes said.
Video shows the incident. Agents are seen claiming Fuentes was impeding their work.
The director of the hospital said, while United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents can come into the emergency room, they cannot go into the operating room.
The hospital has no plans of releasing the person agents were originally trying to detain, who had broken his leg.
Fuentes said he broke his leg running from the agents. Attorneys were brought in to represent the person.
Fuentes also said federal immigration agents have brought a number of people to local hospitals, when they were injured during arrests.
“ICE’s abusive tactics have no place in our city, and our elected officials will continue to stand with residents against this attempt to stoke fear and intimidation,” Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a statement. “Chicago’s elected officials have a First Amendment right to document ICE’s actions and to inform their constituents of their rights without federal interference. Any attempt to block this work is a direct attack on democratic accountability and an assault on the rights of the people of Chicago.”
Fuentes said there was an increase in immigration enforcement activity Friday in Humboldt Park.
She said tear gas was used on passersby at the Home Depot on Cicero Street and Armitage Avenue and at Rico Fresh on Armitage and Central Park Avenue, as well.
Several Chicago aldermen spoke out Friday, amid “ongoing militarized immigration enforcement in Humboldt Park.”
Fuentes, state Sen. Graciela Guzmán, Cook County Commissioner Jessica Vásquez, Alderman Anthony Quezada, Alderwoman Rossana Rodríguez-Sánchez and the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights spoke out Friday outside Humboldt Park Health’s emergency room.
A Chicago alderperson said federal immigration agents handcuffed her, while she was questioning them at a Humboldt Park medical center Friday.
A viewer posted cell phone video showing what appears to be a federal agent inside an SUV stuck in traffic in Logan Square Friday. The agent then throws what witnesses say was some sort of gas canister out the window.
Video showed someone on a motorbike apparently stopping federal authorities in traffic near Armitage and Central Park.
“It was ridiculous. They were just being blocked in the street. They could’ve just backed up and gone around the guy,” witness Andrew Denton said. But instead, they had to use excessive force.”
There has been an increased presence of federal agents across much of Chicago recently.
In Little Village Friday, video showed a 21-year-old man on the ground being arrested by federal agents. His 46-year-old father was then eventually taken down too, before both are led away in custody.
Community and family members who gathered where the two were arrested in Little Village identified the father of three as Jesus Hernandez, from Mexico, who’s lived in the United States for 25 years, and his U.S.-born son, Brian.
“He’s the main head of the family, and it’s sad that they just taken him away from them,” relative Kevin Hernandez said.
In the Back of the Yards neighborhood, many people were around when at least five men were detained Thursday.
This comes as the Department of Homeland Security says it has made more than 1,000 arrests so far across Illinois in “Operation Midway Blitz.”
There was also an immigration raid in Humboldt Park about 6 a.m. Thursday morning. A woman says federal agents knocked down her front door.
She says her husband and two other men in the home were detained by ICE.
The woman says she is a migrant from Venezuela, and her family has been in the U.S. for three years now, as they’ve been going through the process of seeking asylum.
CHICAGO (WLS) — Questions remain after the announcement that the federal government plans to send military personnel to the Chicago area.
This news comes days after dozens of armed federal agents were seen patrolling streets in downtown Chicago and Tuesday morning, federal agents were seen in the South Shore neighborhood.
Neighbors said they are still trying to make sense of what unfolded Monday night.
Many described being woken up by federal agents and neighbors said it’s unclear who agents were looking for.
“They were throwing flash bombs to the front of the windows, if they couldn’t get into units or apartments that how they got the attention to open the door,” resident Alicia Brooks said. “They came with these things to break down the doors.”
Residents at the apartment building on 75th Street and South Shore Drive said they are trying to understand what unfolded after dozens of federal agents arrived overnight.
Video shows armed Border Patrol and FBI agents dressed in military gear in the South Shore neighborhood. Citizen app video showed trucks with federal agents down the street.
They were snatching people, no answers to any questions people asked,..at all,” Brooks said.
Video shows some of the windows of the building left shattered.
He’s worried that she was might have been swept up during the operation after he says he attempted calling her multiple times, but hasn’t been able to reach her.
“I tried to call her 5/6 o’clock because I’m supposed to take her to the bank today,” Dominguez said.
Governor Pritzker denounced the intensified federal law enforcement presence, in a press conference Monday.
The governor said the Department of Homeland Security is requesting 100 military personnel be sent to Illinois.
CHICAGO (WLS) — Federal immigration agents swarmed downtown Chicago on Sunday afternoon, detaining multiple people.
One of those incidents was caught on camera near Millennium Park, where Border Patrol agents appeared to detain a family, including a woman and multiple children.
Agents appeared to detain another man in River North outside of Catholic Charities, near LaSalle and Clark.
These were part of Sunday’s many sightings of Border Patrol agents, who were seen patrolling on foot and by boat along the Chicago River.
“It’s a lot of places that can use some armor and some help, and I’m pretty sure walking down the street of Michigan Avenue is not the place for that type of armor,” said Robina Muhammed.
Lawmakers and community leaders held a press conference on Sunday afternoon to speak out about the federal escalation.
“They showed up downtown to indiscriminately continue to profile against people just because of what they look like,” said Democratic Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia.
“How dare you. This is our city. This is our state. This is our country. This is our home,” said Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights Deputy Director Veronica Castro.
The group vowed to mobilize and protect against what they call fear and intimidation tactics.
“We don’t have any other choice but to continue to organize, to continue to stand together and continue to fight to protect our communities,” said Resurrection Project Director of Organizing Tovia Siegel.
But the Trump administration is making its own vow. The Department of Homeland Security posted to social media, saying, in part, “DHS under @Sec_Noem, will NOT back down. We will not rest until every violent terrorist, thug is arrested… @POTUS Trump and @Sec_Noem will return LAW AND ORDER to our streets.”
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson posted on X, saying, “This is another brazen provocation from the Trump administration that does nothing to make our city safer.”
Johnson also issued a statement, saying, “There are reports of federal agents in downtown Chicago carrying weapons and wearing masks. On a Sunday afternoon, when people are out enjoying the weather and shopping, the Department of Homeland Security is militarizing our city. This is not about safety. It’s meant to intimidate and stoke fear. This also coincides with ICE agents sparking panic and creating chaos while continuing to tear gas and pepper spray people who are exercising their First Amendment rights at the Broadview facility. Stay alert, and stay safe, Cook County. Remember to Know Your Rights.”
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker issued a statement on the enforcement, saying, “The Trump Administration’s DHS officers appear to be carrying large weapons around downtown Chicago in camouflage and masks. This is not making anybody safer – it’s a show of intimidation, instilling fear in our communities and hurting our businesses. We cannot normalize militarizing American cities and suburbs. Make sure you know your rights and stay alert.”
Broadview police investigating alleged attack on reporter near ICE facility
Broadview police say they have launched a criminal investigation into what they describe as “an allegedly unprovoked attack” on a journalist near an ICE facility.
Meanwhile, Broadview police say they have launched a criminal investigation into what they describe as “an allegedly unprovoked attack” on a journalist near an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility there.
They say a chemical munition was fired from the direction of the facility on a CBS TV news reporter’s vehicle. The reporter declined medical attention.
Broadview police say they expect full cooperation from DHS.
“The Village of Broadview Police Department has launched a criminal investigation into an allegedly unprovoked attack on a CBS Chicago TV news reporter’s vehicle by a chemical munition fired from the direction of U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement detention facility. The victim declined medical attention. The Broadview Police Department expects the full cooperation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security into our criminal investigation,” Broadview Police Chief Thomas Mills said in a statement.
Demonstrators return to Broadview ICE facility after Saturday night’s escalation
At one point on Sunday night, protesters tried to put up flags, and agents fired mace and pepper bullets in response.
Protests outside the Broadview ICE facility have been happening for several days, and demonstrators continued to make their voices heard on Sunday night.
At one point on Sunday night, protesters tried to put up flags, and agents fired mace and pepper bullets in response. However, everyone appeared to be OK, and no one was detained.
Still, was a much calmer atmosphere outside of the facility throughout Sunday after the escalation ABC7 crews witnessed there on Saturday night.
Beach Street has been reopened, allowing protesters to be right up against the facility’s fence again, and there were much fewer federal agents present outside compared to Saturday.
Protest organizers rebuilt a tent and moved it further away from the facility after federal agents tore down their belongings on Saturday night while deploying tear gas to disperse the crowd.
They had been taking in donations to help families impacted by ICE operations, but much of that was ruined during the escalation.
“To see everything go to waste, this is people’s hard-earned money that are willing to help us out in any way, and it just went to waste,” said a protester named Maria.
The presence of Border Patrol and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents has dwindled compared to what was seen in Broadview on Saturday.
Protesters say they will continue to show up as the Trump administration targets the Chicagoland area in federal operations.
“I don’t think it’s gonna stop. The more they push, we’re gonna push, and you know, we want to make this as peaceful as possible, but they’re not making it peaceful,” Maria said.
As protesters try to get their message across, loved ones of people who have been detained by ICE are also showing up to the facility in Broadview.
Natalie Mirenda stood with the crowd on Sunday night after watching her father get detained in Downers Grove earlier in the day.
“I saw a bunch of people and guns, and I ran out and realized it was ICE, and they already had him going in the car,” Mirenda said. “He’s a really hard worker. He’s never had a single ticket. He’s never been pulled over. He’s not a criminal. He has no criminal record at all.”
Mirenda says it is a feeling of helplessness for her family with little information coming in from ICE officials.
“We’re devastated. My sister is out here protesting with me, and we can’t do anything but just stand here and hope everything turns out good. It’s crazy,” Mirenda said. “You never know what happens until it literally happens to you. It’s crazy.”
This comes as the Trump administration is committing more federal resources to Chicago and officials say they will have zero tolerance for any interference of ICE operations.
President Donald Trump posted on social media earlier Sunday, referencing Chicago with a video of the escalations between protesters and federal agents in Broadview.
Protests against immigration enforcement held in Chicago
Dozens of people came out across the city’s North and Northwest sides for what is being called a day of action.
Meanwhile, the Indivisible Chicago Alliance, a grassroots organization dedicated to fighting the Trump administration’s policies and actions in Chicago and beyond, organized events in the city on Sunday.
Even before Sunday’s show of force downtown, dozens of people came out across the city’s North and Northwest sides for what is being called a day of action.
“We think it’s important that we show the majority of us are opposed to what Trump is doing. We’re opposed to ICE. We’re opposed to the militarization of our cities,” said protester Geri Kahn.
Protesters, many of them members of Indivisible Chicago, fanned out from Irving Park and Lake Shore Drive in Buena Park to Welles Park in North Center, taking heart from the support of passing motorists.
“We want to make a big statement that the American people, the majority of the American people, are not with the Trump administration,” said protester John Bachtell.
In Humboldt Park, people also came out, but there, their purpose was different. Their eyes were firmly focused on getting people to the ballot box.
“Our actions for today are writing postcards to voters in Virginia to remind them to get out and vote because they have a really important Supreme Court election coming up,” said Kristen Vandawalker with Indivisible Chicago Northwest.
It is an effort to encourage political action from those who might feel their impact, in what is already a blue state, is limited.
“Sometimes people feel like they can only take so much action or have so much impact within the state so it’s good to have, hey there is something really important happening in Pennsylvania we can help with or Virginia or whatever,” said Jessica Jorsch with Indivisible Chicago Northwest.
Sunday’s actions are all a prelude to what is expected to be a large-scale No Kings protest coming up three weeks from now on Saturday, Oct. 18 in Grant Park.
Video shows an ICE agent dropping his gun before appearing to point it at bystanders during an arrest in Prince George’s County, MD.
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, Md. (WLS) — Video captured the moment an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent dropped his handgun during a struggle to make an arrest in Maryland.
The agent then appears to point the gun at bystanders.
The footage was shot on Wednesday in Prince George’s County.
BROADVIEW, Ill. (WLS) — There was an amplified presence of federal agents Saturday in Broadview after U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi posted on social media that the Trump administration was directing more resources to Chicago.
It appeared that Border Patrol has taken over operations at the west suburban ICE facility, and they were quick to detain several protesters throughout the evening while firing off pepper bullets to disperse the crowds.
Demonstrators have been protesting against the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement blitz happening across the Chicago area.
The developments came after the village said in a statement that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents told officials in Broadview they would launch enforcement throughout the west suburb on Saturday.
The village says ICE agents told Broadview police that there will be a “s*** show” in the area and that federal officers will deploy chemicals again.
In a statement, Broadview said this is all in retaliation to the village calling on ICE to “stop making war on our community.”
“Let’s be clear. ICE is seeking to intimidate the Village of Broadview because we dared exercise our 1st Amendment constitutional rights calling for an end to their war on Broadview. We will not be intimidated. We are Broadview strong,” the village said in a statement, in part.
Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin issued a statement, saying, “This is made up. Our law enforcement enforces the rule of law. Period.”
The continued protests Saturday at the Broadview ICE facility came after Friday night’s standoff between demonstrators and federal agents.
Some local organizations held a press conference in the afternoon, continuing to speak out against the operations going on there. The Revolutionary Black Panther Party is one of the organizations that spoke.
There have been contentious moments the last couple of days, including the use of pepper bullets and other crowd controlling measures from DHS agents. Many of the protesters there Saturday have been the same people showing up to the facility every day, and they say that those tactics from ICE will not deter them from continuing to protest.
Throughout the day agents chased down some protesters and detained them while also coming out to take any kind of shields or umbrellas from the crowd. Protesters believe the use of force has gone too far.
“We oppose this kind of authoritarianism that is invading our city and suburbs,” community activist Andy Thayer said. “It’s not helping anyone.”
After several escalations between protesters and federal agents over the last few weeks in Broadview, Attorney General Bondi says there will be no tolerance moving forward.
“More than 200 violent rioters were at a Chicago ICE facility chanting ‘Arrest ICE. Shoot ICE,’” Bondi said in a video posted to X. “At least one had a gun. We’ve seen this before. We saw it in Portland and the LA riots. These are not peaceful protests. These are coordinated attacks by radical extremists, and they end now.”
Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino also arrived to the Broadview facility Friday. He did not answer questions from reporters as he led operations on the ground.
Crowd-controlling measures like pepper bullets were deployed several times in an attempt to push protesters back.
Local immigration lawyer Louise Carhart was apart of the crowd. She says the federal agencies do not belong there.
“All of these agencies are funded by tax payer dollars and they’re being deputized for things they are not authorized to do,” Carhart said. “That’s a misuse of public funds, and I think protesters have every right to be out here.”
Also on the scene Saturday were a few opposition protesters, who say they stand with ICE and believe this is what Illinois needs right now.
Anti-ICE protesters in Chicago also gathered Saturday in the Loop, sending a similar message to the Trump administration. They rallied at Federal Plaza and marched a bit through downtown, with chants and signs standing up against ICE operations.
Officers used chemical agents multiple times in an effort to disperse the crowds on Friday in Broadview, and federal authorities said of the people arrested had a gun.
Elias Cepeda, a volunteer with Pilsen Defense and Access, is seen in this video posted to Instagram right before his arrest. The 41-year-old has joined other protesters at the facility for weeks.
His mother says her son is a legal Concealed-Carry License holder and is demanding his release while other demonstrators shared their account of his arrest.
DHS commented on Cepeda’s arrest and the discovery of his firearm, writing in a post to X, in part, “This is transpiring just a few days after the horrific terrorist attack on an ICE facility in Dallas.”
Demonstrators say the other man arrested on Friday is a military veteran.
Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson has urged Broadview residents to “take all necessary precautions to protect themselves and their families in order to stay out of harm’s way.”
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker released the following statement in response to the federal deployments in the village of Broadview: “The State of Illinois is closely monitoring the federal deployments in the Village of Broadview. Public safety is always my top priority, and the Illinois State Police remain in close communication with the Broadview Police Department to monitor and maintain public safety.
“Whether it be in Broadview here in Illinois or in Portland, Oregon, the Trump Administration is intentionally creating chaos to threaten sending military troops to American cities and suburbs. The suggestion that chemical agents like tear gas or pepper spray could be used indiscriminately against peaceful demonstrators, or even first responders, is unacceptable and not normal.
“Illinois will always defend Americans’ right to peacefully protest and make their voices heard. We denounce any violence against the general public, members of the media, and law enforcement or first responders. Even when the Trump Administration does not follow the law, we will.
“I urge members of the public to remain calm, stay safe, and document what you see with your phones and cameras. My senior team has also asked legal organizations to support monitoring on the ground. By observing and recording peacefully, we can ensure that any violations of the law are brought to light and those responsible are held accountable.”
Protesters gathered outside that ICE detention center on Friday, with video showing what appears to be pepper balls being used against some of the demonstrators that evening. Video also shows at least one demonstrator being dragged away.
Reps. Chuy Garcia and Delia Ramirez are expected to speak Saturday outside the Broadview ICE facility, where an anti-ICE protest got underway Friday.
Federal agents say they were trying to make a traffic stop when Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez, a man the Department of Homeland Security says was undocumented with a criminal history of reckless driving, allegedly drove at the officer, dragging him in the process.
That’s when, officials say, the officer fired shots, striking Villegas-Gonzalez, who later died at the hospital.
Cellphone video obtained by ABC7 shows the moment ICE officers removed the man from his crashed car near Grand and Elder Lane. ABC7 froze the video since it is too graphic to show.
DHS said in a statement, in part, “We are praying for the speedy recovery of our law enforcement officer. He followed his training, used appropriate force, and properly enforced the law to protect the public and law enforcement.”
Villegas-Gonzalez’ girlfriend and stepdaughter, who asked ABC7 not to show their faces, say he was a working 38-year-old father of three from Mexico who has lived in the United States for more than 20 years.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker called Friday’s events in Franklin Park troubling.
Meanwhile, a group of local Catholics will gather for what organizers are calling a people’s Mass outside Naval Station Great Lakes, which is hosting federal immigration agents as they carry out operations in the Chicago area.
The Mass, set to begin at 10 a.m., will serve as a peaceful and spiritual protest against the Trump administration’s mobilization of ICE to Chicago.
The Coalition Against the Trump Agenda and the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights hosted a rally at Congress Plaza Garden on Tuesday evening before marching in the streets to make their voices heard.
“We are going to keep fighting against the escalated ICE raids and attacks against our communities. Trump says that it’s going to be war in Chicago, but I believe in the people’s power and the resistance here in strong,” said Rania Salem with the U.S. Palestinian Community Network.
About 200 demonstrators marched on Michigan Avenue around 6 p.m.
“We will be out on these streets. So, get ready. Buy you some new shoes!” one demonstrator said.
The group later returned to the plaza, where the rally resumed. Organizers told ABC7 that they were committed to keeping the demonstration peaceful.
“We’re going to talk about how we’re meeting the moment, right now,” another demonstrator said.
The protest came after federal agents descended on Chicago’s Lawndale neighborhood as part of operation “Midway Blitz” on Tuesday.
Agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement along with Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms agents arrested three men they say are suspected gang members. ABC7 blurred their faces because we do not know whether they have been charged.
ABC News Chief Justice Correspondent Pierre Thomas spoke with the head of the ICE operation, which the Department of Homeland Security says is targeting criminal offenders who are in the U.S. illegally.
Federal agents descended on Chicago’s Lawndale neighborhood as part of operation “Midway Blitz.”
“We’re talking anywhere from the most egregious child sex offender to, homicide, burglary, assault, domestic violence, it runs the gamut. It’s everybody that’s committed crime, but the ones we’re going to primarily focus on, the ones that we want to get off the streets are going to be our heinous criminals,” Marco Charles, acting director of ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations told ABC News.
ATF Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Maniff said they are investigating possible gun trafficking by the Tren de Aragua gang.
“This investigation started through our crime gun intelligence center with our 15 partner agencies that include ICE. And during this operation, we identified 30 TDA suspected gang members that were selling firearms in the Chicagoland area,” Maniff said.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin says, “DHS is launching Operation Midway Blitz in honor of Katie Abraham who was killed in Illinois by a criminal illegal alien who should have never been in our country.” The operation, which began was announced Monday, is part of a 30-day federal immigration enforcement surge in the Chicago area.
Meanwhile, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker met with activists who support immigrants on Tuesday, talking about strategies for how best to address the immigration enforcement surge. Several community groups are also planning resistance strategies.
The federal government has officially started its immigration crackdown on the Chicago area.
Pritzker said there is a lot of fear out there about what the Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation will actually turn into. And as President Donald Trump continues to talk about cleaning up Democrat-run cities, Pritzker made it clear, once again, that he has no plans to ask for federal help like the National Guard.
Pritzker met with a group leaders representing numerous advocacy groups who are trying to inform people of their rights and help them stay safe as they wait for the ICE raids to ramp up.
“We’re going to talk about how we’re meeting the moment right now,” one woman who attended the meeting said. “What does that actually look like? What does the various programs look like?”
The governor offered some encouragement.
“The reason that Tom Homan, the reason that Donald Trump, the reason that so many people, you know, are upset and want to attack Chicago is because we’re winning,” Pritzker said. “Even though this is a terrible moment, we are winning here, We are, even if there are still people who are being taken and still there are attacks in our communities.”
It comes as various community groups continue to criticize operation “Midway Blitz,” the name given to the stepped-up immigration enforcement effort that the Trump administration has said will target the “worst of the worst” criminals who are not in the country legally.
After touring the National Museum of Mexican Art, the governor admitted that the state is being kept in the dark about ICE activity. Pritzker said he is not sure when the ICE operation will ramp up, but he says they have about 100 vehicles at the ready.
“Here’s what we do know: ICE is somewhere on the ground here. They already have been effectuating their plans. We have not seen the bulk of those ICE agents yet in communities, but we have seen some, and we know that they are gathering steam,” Pritzker said.
The White House border czar, Tom Homan, defended the operation that is expected to look similar to what happened in Los Angeles.
“We’re sending a message to the whole world; there are consequences for violating our laws. You’re asking me to tell ICE, ‘Don’t enforce the law.’ Should DEA enforce their laws? Should FBI enforce their laws? Should ATF enforce their laws? ICE is going to enforce the laws. That’s what President Trump got elected for and what we’re doing,” Homan said.
Faith leaders on the West Side are calling this “Resistance Tuesday.” They gathered in Pilsen, where community members are getting ready to celebrate Mexican Independence Day this weekend
“When it comes to putting our sons and daughters in the back of unmarked vans by agents that do not want to be known, accountable by anybody, we have to say ‘No,’” said Rev. Joe Morrow with 4th Presbyterian Church.
Organized by the Leaders’ Network, the collection of prominent clergy came together on Tuesday, united by their opposition to any federal takeover of Chicago.
“It’s so important that this is an interfaith gathering that Christians, Jews and Muslims are coming together to say that we’re going to fight for Chicago,” said Leaders’ Network President David Cherry.
Their message is that Chicago needs investment, not occupation.
“So, while he is championing that there’s a need for the military to solve this problem, we believe in resources,” said New Landmark Baptist Church Pastor Cy Fields.
Many say Trump is using crime in predominately Black and Brown communities as an excuse to occupy the city.
“We resist what he is doing,” said Greater Union Baptist Church Pastor Dr. Walter McCray. “We stand flat footed, morally and spiritually and resist what he is doing. We are not afraid. We can control our community if we have the resources, the resources to hire folk.”
Administration officials say their actions are necessary to apprehend undocumented people, who they say are being given refuge in sanctuary cities, adding that they have seen a reduction in crime in Washington, D.C. after the National Guard was called in to help.
If National Guard troops were deployed in Chicago, military experts say, they would likely be used to guard federal buildings.
The troops are trained for military combat, not policing crime and cannot be dispatched by 9-1-1 to crime scenes.
“It’s looking for an excuse to have further crackdowns on valid protests and to provoke attack, and that’s my deepest concern, that these troops are coming here to provoke, not to protect,” said Oak Park Temple Rabbi Max Weiss.
CHICAGO (WLS) — Political retribution. That’s what Illinois U.S. Senator Dick Durbin describes as the only possible reason for the unprompted firing of immigration judges in Chicago and across the country.
In a new letter, he is demanding answers from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, saying it’s something judges are protected from by law.
One of those fired immigration judges spoke candidly the ABC7 I-Team.
Former Immigration Judge Carla Espinoza said she was under intense scrutiny from Trump administration officials during a high-profile immigration case just weeks before she was removed from her position.
“There was a lot of pressure regarding the decision that I would render,” she said.
When due process of law and the rule of law is eroded, as I believe is happening in this case, people distrust the process, and there’s a fair reason to do that under the circumstances
Carla Espinoza, former immigration judge
The case involved Ramon Morales-Reyes, who was accused of threatening to kill President Donald Trump, but Wisconsin investigators believe he was framed by a man trying to get him deported by sending threatening letters.
“I’m also concerned that my ruling in that particular case played a significant role in my subsequent termination,” Espinoza said.
Because evidence in the case presented to Espinoza showed Morales-Reyes was framed, she granted him bail, despite public comments from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, saying “Thanks to our ICE officers, this illegal alien who threatened to assassinate President Trump is behind bars.”
“The only fair result was for me to rule in the case efficiently and based on the law, and that’s what I did,” explained Espinoza, who is one of 103 immigration judges summarily fired or who have opted to take a deferred resignation by the Trump administration. Some were notified by mail with no justification included.
Espinoza said she was one of the judges who received no explanation, but she described for the I-Team what she saw as a troubling and illegal pattern in the firings she said are potentially based on race, ethnicity and gender.
“All of the judges that were sworn along me that have a Hispanic last name, such as myself, have been terminated,” Espinoza said. “All of those that have a Middle Eastern or South Asian last name have been terminated. All of those who are openly LGBTQ have been terminated.”
Matt Biggs, president of The International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, the union representing immigration judges, said this is a broad attack on the rule of law and due process.
“Chicago’s there at the top of the list as one of the one of the courts that’s been targeted,” he added. “Either bring in political hacks that will rule the way that President Trump demands they rule, and or just get to a point where you say, Hey, we don’t have enough judges to hear these cases, so we’re just going to deport people, period.”
Senator Durbin, recently standing side by side with Espinoza and other fired immigration judges, is now demanding answers from Attorney General Bondi. In a recently-released letter, he said in part, “The only plausible explanation for firing immigration judges… is a political one. However, immigration judges have protections from politicized hiring and firing.”
Espinoza is now back in private practice. She worries what about the future of a court system she cares deeply about.
“When due process of law and the rule of law is eroded, as I believe is happening in this case, people distrust the process, and there’s a fair reason to do that under the circumstances,” she said.
Espinoza said she is pursuing all legal avenues to remedy what she calls her illegal firing.
The I-Team reached out to Attorney General Bondi’s office, but has not heard back.
Gov. Ron DeSantis holds up two bills related to China he signed on June 07, 2021, in Miami, Florida. … [+] A bill he signed in 2023 is the subject of a new lawsuit. Two H-1B visa holders and an international student are plaintiffs in a lawsuit alleging Florida’s new law preventing many Chinese citizens from purchasing real estate in the state is unconstitutional. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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Two H-1B visa holders and an international student are plaintiffs in a lawsuit alleging Florida’s new law preventing many Chinese citizens from purchasing real estate in the state is unconstitutional. The state will also require U.S. citizens in Florida to attest that the law doesn’t apply to them when buying real estate. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has highlighted the new law while pursuing the Republican nomination for president. Analysis shows the law is likely more restrictive than the plaintiffs in the lawsuit argue due to the use of the term “visa” in the bill rather than “status.”
The Florida Law’s Main Provisions
Starting July 1, 2023, Florida law S.B. 264 prohibits a citizen of China from buying real estate in the state unless certain exceptions apply. The exceptions include that it is only “one residential real property that is up to 2 acres” and the “parcel is not on or within 5 miles of any military installation in the state.” The person must have a “current verified United States Visa that is not limited to authorizing tourist-based travel” or have been granted asylum.
The measure applies to “Any person who is domiciled in the People’s Republic of China and who is not a citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States.” A person who is a citizen of China (and not a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident) who meets one of the exceptions and already owns property in Florida “may not purchase . . . any additional real property” in the state.
Other provisions apply to citizens of China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela and Syria unless they qualify for an exception. These include prohibitions on purchasing agricultural land or real estate near a military installation or critical infrastructure.
The law also places new requirements on American citizens in Florida. “At the time of purchase, a buyer of real property in this state must provide an affidavit signed under penalty of perjury attesting that the buyer is” not prevented from buying the real estate due to the new law. This illustrates how immigration-related restrictions often also affect U.S.-born citizens.
The Lawsuit
A lawsuit filed on May 22, 2023, challenges the Florida law, arguing it “imposes discriminatory prohibitions on the ownership and purchase of real property based on race, ethnicity, alienage, and national origin—and imposes especially draconian restrictions on people from China.”
The complaint discusses the impact of the law on the plaintiffs—four Chinese citizens who live in Florida and a real estate brokerage firm that serves Chinese and Chinese American clients.
“They will be forced to cancel purchases of new homes, register their existing properties with the State under threat of severe penalties, and face the loss of significant business,” according to the complaint. “The law stigmatizes them and their communities, and casts a cloud of suspicion over anyone of Chinese descent who seeks to buy property in Florida. Under this discriminatory new law, people who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents, and whose ‘domicile’ is in China, will be prohibited from purchasing property in Florida.
“A similar but less restrictive rule will apply to people whose permanent home is in Cuba, Venezuela, or other ‘countries of concern.’ The sole exception to these prohibitions is incredibly narrow: people with non-tourist visas or who have been granted asylum may purchase one residential property under two acres that is not within five miles of any military installation in the state. Notably, there are more than a dozen military installations in Florida, many of them within five miles of city centers like Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville, Pensacola, Panama City, and Key West. Florida’s new law will also impose requirements on people from China and other ‘foreign countries of concern’ to register properties they currently own, at the risk of civil penalties and civil forfeiture. People who own or acquire property in violation of the law are subject to criminal charges, imprisonment, and fines.”
The attorneys for the plaintiffs are the ACLU Foundation of Florida, the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, the DeHeng Law Offices and the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund. The attorneys filed the complaint in the U.S. District Court for The Northern District of Florida Tallahassee Division.
“The law may be even more restrictive than the lawsuit indicates,” according to Kevin Miner, a partner at Fragomen. “This is because the statute uses incorrect immigration terminology to describe the exception. The statute appears to try to create an exception for individuals who are in the U.S. on a longer-term nonimmigrant status but does so by referencing a ‘visa’ rather than nonimmigrant status. The exception in the finalized bill, as enacted, exempts someone from the law if ‘the person has a current verified United States Visa that is not limited to authorizing tourist-based travel or official documentation confirming that the person has been granted asylum in the United States and such visa or documentation authorizes the person to be legally present within this state.’
“From a U.S. immigration law perspective, a ‘visa’ has a specific meaning. It is a sticker on a page of someone’s passport issued by a U.S. consulate abroad authorizing travel to the United States. It is different than having nonimmigrant status, like holding H-1B status while living in the U.S. and working for a U.S. employer. Because a visa is only needed for travel, many people in the U.S. are lawfully present holding H-1B, L-1 or F-1 student status and don’t have an unexpired visa stamp in their passport. The Florida statute incorrectly references a ‘visa’ rather than ‘nonimmigrant status.’ This could cause further complications for people who may have been intended to be exempted from the law but will be swept up in its restrictions anyway.”
Two H-1B Visa Holders And An International Student As Plaintiffs
The lawsuit includes two plaintiffs who are H-1B visa holders and one international student on an F-1 visa.
“Plaintiff Yifan Shen is neither a citizen nor a permanent resident of the United States but has permission to stay and live in the United States as the holder of a valid H-1B visa, which is a nonimmigrant worker visa,” according to the complaint. “Ms. Shen has lived in the United States for seven years and has lived in Florida for the past four years. She is not a member of the Chinese government or of the Chinese Communist Party. She has a master’s degree in science and is working as a registered dietitian in Florida.
“In April 2023, Ms. Shen signed a contract to buy a single-family home in Orlando to serve as her primary residence. The property, which is a new construction, appears to be located within ten miles of a critical infrastructure facility and within five miles of a military installation. The estimated closing date for Ms. Shen’s new property is in December 2023. Because Ms. Shen’s closing date is after July 1, 2023, Florida’s New Alien Land Law will prevent Ms. Shen from acquiring her new home, specifically, by forcing her to cancel the contract for the purchase and construction of her new property. Ms. Shen stands to lose all or part of her $25,000 deposit if the law goes into effect and she is forced to cancel the real estate contract.”
“Plaintiff Yongxin Liu is neither a citizen nor a permanent resident of the United States but has permission to stay and live in the United States as the holder of a valid H-1B visa, which is a nonimmigrant worker visa,” according to the complaint. “Mr. Liu has lived in the United States for five years and in Florida for four years. He is not a member of the Chinese government or of the Chinese Communist Party. He is an assistant professor at a Florida university in the field of data science. He owns a property close to Daytona Beach, which is his primary residence. As an owner of real property in Florida, Mr. Liu will be required under Florida’s New Alien Land Law to register his property with DEO [Department of Economic Opportunity].
“In addition, because Mr. Liu’s property appears to be located within ten miles of a critical infrastructure facility, Mr. Liu is further subject to the law’s registration requirement. This registration requirement is burdensome, discriminatory, and stigmatizing to Mr. Liu. Mr. Liu also has plans to purchase a second property in the vicinity of Pelican Bay, Florida, for his and his parents’ use as a vacation home. However, Mr. Liu will be prohibited from purchasing a second property under the new law. Furthermore, there is a substantial likelihood that the second property would be within ten miles of a military installation or critical infrastructure facility, resulting in an additional prohibition on the purchase under the new law.
“Due to Florida’s New Alien Land Law, Mr. Liu reasonably fears that real estate agents will refuse to represent him because he is Chinese, that he will be disadvantaged when bidding on property because he is Chinese, and that his search for real estate will be more costly, time-consuming, and burdensome as a result.”
“Plaintiff Xinxi Wang is neither a citizen nor a permanent resident of the United States but has permission to stay and live in the United States as the holder of a valid F-1 visa, which is a nonimmigrant visa for international students. Ms. Wang has lived in the United States and in Florida for the past five years. She is not a member of the Chinese government or of the Chinese Communist Party. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. degree in earth systems science at a Florida university.
“Ms. Wang owns a home in Miami, which is her primary residence. Ms. Wang is also devoted Christian who worships with a congregation in the Miami area, about ten minutes from her home. As an owner of real property in Florida, Ms. Wang will be required to register her property . . . In addition, because Ms. Wang’s property appears to be located within ten miles of a critical infrastructure facility, Ms. Wang is further subject to the law’s registration requirement. This registration requirement is burdensome, discriminatory, and stigmatizing to Ms. Wang.”
Why The Law May Be Unconstitutional
The complaint asks the court to find the law unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment because it violates plaintiffs’ rights to equal protection and procedural due process. “The law was enacted with the purpose and intent to discriminate against persons based on race, ethnicity, color, alienage, and national origin, in particular, Chinese persons,” according to the complaint. “The law makes impermissible classifications based on race, ethnicity, color, alienage, and national origin that are not justified by a compelling state interest. . . . The law is impermissibly vague, indefinite, and ambiguous because it fails to clearly define ‘critical infrastructure facility,’ ‘military installation,’ and ‘domicile,’ and therefore fails to provide sufficient notice about which properties and persons are subject to its classifications, prohibitions, penalties, and requirements . . . [and] fails to provide sufficient notice as to where the ten-mile and five-mile exclusion zones tied to the covered critical infrastructure facilities and military installations begin and end.”
The complaint also argues the law violates plaintiffs’ rights under the Fair Housing Act. “The law discriminates against persons based on their race, color, and national origin, particularly Chinese persons, with respect to dwellings and residential real estate-related transactions.”
Finally, the plaintiffs ask that the law be declared unconstitutional under the U.S. Constitution’s Supremacy Clause and argue it is preempted by federal law. “The governor and legislators have repeatedly emphasized the need to take action ‘to stand against the United States’ greatest geopolitical threat—the Chinese Communist Party,’” write the plaintiffs. “Accordingly, the law violates the Supremacy Clause because it regulates a field exclusively occupied by the federal government, specifically, the intersection between foreign affairs, national security, and foreign investment, including foreign real estate acquisitions. In so doing, the new landownership prohibitions usurp the power vested by the Constitution and by Congress in the federal government to investigate, review, and take actions with respect to foreign investments, including real estate transactions that raise issues of national security.”
The plaintiffs ask the court for an injunction against the state of Florida from implementing and enforcing the law.
The Impact On U.S. Competitiveness In Attracting Talent
The new law is likely to have an impact on attracting talent to the United States. “China remains a vital source of high-skilled talent for the United States, especially in STEM [science, technology, engineering and math] fields where there is a particularly acute shortage of qualified U.S. workers,” said Fragomen’s Kevin Miner. “By making it more difficult for Chinese nationals to purchase property in Florida, employers who rely on foreign national talent from China and other affected countries may rethink plans to expand their operations into Florida, and this would mean that the jobs for American workers from such an expansion would go away as well.”
Perceptions of Chinese nationals toward the United States as a place to work and study could continue to erode in light of the new law. U.S. consular officers are still denying visas for Chinese graduate students based on the Chinese university they attended, as became apparent in this recent case of a Ph.D. student who cannot return to the United States to complete her doctoral research. Fewer international students from China have chosen to attend U.S. universities in recent years.
“The lawsuit makes an excellent point that regardless of what exceptions the statute may try to create, Chinese nationals will still be disadvantaged as buyers,” said Miner. “Real estate agents may be less willing to work with them, and sellers may be scared by the language of the law and choose not to sell property to a Chinese national. This is detrimental to people doing nothing more than trying to build a career and a life in the United States, and ultimately hurts U.S. competitiveness in the global economy.”
