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Tag: us immigration

  • US spent $40M to deport roughly 300 migrants to nations other than their own: Democratic report

    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.

    Copyright © 2026 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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  • US Olympians speaking up about politics at home face online backlash – including from Trump

    MILAN — U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday said that it is hard to cheer for American Olympians who are speaking out against administration policies, calling one such critic “a real Loser” who perhaps should have stayed home.

    It was the latest and most prominent example of U.S. Olympians at the Milan Cortina Games inviting online backlash with their words.

    Reporters on Friday asked U.S. athletes at a news conference how they feel representing the country during the Trump administration’s heighted immigration enforcement actions. Freestyle skier Hunter Hess replied that he had mixed emotions since he doesn’t agree with the situation, and that he is in Milan competing on behalf of everyone who helped get him to The Games.

    “If it aligns with my moral values, I feel like I’m representing it,” Hess said. “Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S.”

    Among those who piled on Hess were YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul.

    “From all true Americans If you don’t want to represent this country go live somewhere else,” he wrote on X, where he has 4.4 million followers. Minutes later, he was photographed sitting beside U.S. Vice President JD Vance at the U.S women’s hockey game in Olympic host city Milan.

    Trump said the next day that Hess’ comments make it hard to root for him.

    “Hess, a real Loser, says he doesn’t represent his Country in the current Winter Olympics. If that’s the case, he shouldn’t have tried out for the Team, and it’s too bad he’s on it,” he wrote on his Truth Social account.

    Hess wasn’t the only athlete voicing discontent – or facing blowback

    At Friday’s news conference with the athletes, freestyle skier Chris Lillis referenced Immigration and Customs Enforcement, saying he’s “heartbroken” about what is happening in the U.S.

    “I think that, as a country, we need to focus on respecting everybody’s rights and making sure that we’re treating our citizens as well as anybody, with love and respect,” Lillis said. “I hope that when people look at athletes compete in the Olympics, they realize that that’s the America that we’re trying to represent.”

    And U.S. figure skater Amber Glenn said the LGBTQ+ community has had a hard time during the Trump administration.

    In addition to Paul, conservative figures criticizing the athletes on social media include former NFL quarterback Brett Favre, actor Rob Schneider and U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds – who Trump has endorsed for the Florida gubernatorial race in November. And there was a flood of vitriol directed at them from ordinary Americans.

    Glenn posted on Instagram that she had received “a scary amount of hate / threats for simply using my voice WHEN ASKED about how I feel.” She added that she will start limiting her social media use for her well-being.

    In response to questions from The Associated Press, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee said in a statement Sunday that it is aware of an increasing amount of abusive and harmful messages directed toward the athletes and was doing its best to remove content and report credible threats to law enforcement.

    “The USOPC stands firmly behind Team USA athletes and remains committed to their well-being and safety, both on and off the field of play,” it said.

    Anti-ICE protests in Italy

    Support for the U.S. abroad has eroded as the Trump administration has pursued an aggressive posture on foreign policy, including punishing tariffs, military action in Venezuela and threats to invade Greenland.

    During the opening ceremony, Team USA athletes were cheered on, but jeers and whistles could be heard as Vance and his wife, second lady Usha Vance, were shown on the stadium screens, waving American flags from the tribune.

    In Milan, several demonstrations have broken out against the against the local deployment of ICE agents – even after clarification that they are from an investigations unit that is completely separate from the enforcement unit at the forefront of the immigration crackdown in the U.S.

    Homeland Security Investigations, an ICE unit that focuses on cross-border crimes, frequently sends its officers to overseas events like the Olympics to assist with security. The ICE arm seen in the streets of the U.S. is known as Enforcement and Removal Operations, and there is no indication its officers were sent to Italy.

    A demonstration on Saturday featured thousands of protesters. Toward its end, a small number of them clashed with police, who fired tear gas and a water cannon. That followed another one last week, when hundreds protested the deployment of ICE agents.

    ___

    Associated Press writer Graham Dunbar contributed to this report.

    Copyright © 2026 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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  • Evanston PD investigating after feds arrest 3 US citizens following crash during operation: mayor

    EVANSTON, Ill. (WLS) — Some faith and elected leaders in Evanston say they are deeply disturbed by the events involving federal agents on Friday.

    On Saturday, people stood united during a community vigil.

    ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

    “Immigrants are welcome here; ICE is not,” said 13th District Cook County Commissioner Josina Morita.

    Hundreds of Evanston residents and elected leaders gathered near Asbury Avenue and Oakton Street on Saturday afternoon.

    “My faith teaches me that no one is illegal, and no one deserves to be dehumanized,” said Unitarian Church of Evanston Rev. Eileen Wiviott.

    This comes 24 hours after chaotic moments played out in that same area, and three U.S. citizens were arrested.

    “My understanding of the three individuals who were taken have been released,” said Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss.

    SEE ALSO | Chicago federal intervention: Tracking surge in immigration enforcement operations | Live updates

    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.”

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  • Immigration enforcement on North Side leads to tense confrontations, soft lockdowns at schools

    CHICAGO (WLS) — Videos showed federal agents detaining people as immigration enforcement activity was reported across Chicago on Friday.

    At several North Side locations, federal agents making arrests were met by community members, and at least one encounter ended in a cloud of tear gas.

    ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

    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.

    SEE ALSO | Chicago federal intervention: Tracking surge in immigration enforcement operations | Live updates

    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.”

    SEE ALSO | US House subcommittee hosts ‘shadow hearing’ in Chicago on immigration enforcement tactics

    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.

    SEE ALSO | Some Chicago Board of Education members call for CPS remote learning amid immigration operations

    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.

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  • Federal immigration agents attacked while trying to arrest man in Bolingbrook, police say

    BOLINGBROOK, Ill. (WLS) — Federal immigration agents say they were attacked in the south suburbs on Sunday morning.

    Bolingbrook police said officers responded to the 100-block of Williamsburg Lane for a reported battery just before 10 a.m.

    ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

    The agents told officers that they were trying to arrest a 46-year-old man in a parking lot when two people approached and started hitting them.

    The man and the two alleged attackers, females of unknown ages, ran away and into a nearby home.

    SEE ALSO | Chicago federal intervention: Tracking surge in immigration enforcement operations | Live updates

    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.

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  • ICE agent drops gun, appears to point it at bystanders during arrest in Maryland: VIDEO

    ByABC7 Chicago Digital Team

    Sunday, September 28, 2025 7:17PM

    ICE agent appears to point gun at bystanders during MD arrest: VIDEO

    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.

    SEE ALSO | ICE officer seen pushing woman to the floor at NY immigration court relieved of duties, agency says

    In the video, you can see that when the officer drops his gun, he picks it up and appears to point it in the direction of bystanders.

    A Department of Homeland Security official says the man being arrested was resisting.

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  • Anti-ICE protests continue at Broadview facility, downtown Chicago as federal presence grows

    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.

    ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

    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.”

    RELATED | Broadview police chief says he was verbally attacked by ICE agent; mayor criticizes ICE in letter

    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.

    SEE ALSO | Chicago federal intervention: Tracking surge in immigration enforcement operations | Live updates

    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.”

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  • Protest blocks downtown traffic after 4 arrested in Lawndale as part of operation ‘Midway Blitz’

    CHICAGO (WLS) — A large protest against immigration enforcement blocked traffic in downtown Chicago for hours on Tuesday evening.

    “We must organize. We must stay in the streets and keep each other safe!” one protester said.

    ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

    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.

    READ MORE | Chicago federal intervention: Tracking surge in immigration enforcement operations | Live updates

    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.

    RELATED | Controversial ICE tactics cleared by Supreme Court; advocates worry they may be deployed in Chicago

    “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.

    SEE ALSO | Katie Abraham’s father speaks out on DHS’ operation ‘Midway Blitz’ in Chicago area

    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.

    ABC News contributed to this report.

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    Evelyn Holmes

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  • ICE confirms 4 Chicago-area arrests as Trump administration’s ‘Midway Blitz’ operation gets underway

    CHICAGO (WLS) — Immigrant advocates say they have already received a large volume of calls to their hotline about Immigration and Customs Enforcement encounters in the Chicago area in recent days.

    Some elected leaders worry that this just the start of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in the area.

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    “It’s obvious that operations have begun in Chicago, and it’s even more obvious they’re going to be targeting our communities here in the Southwest Side again. We’re afraid. Our neighbors are afraid,” said Any Huamani, who is on the Brighton Park Neighborhood Council and is a Southwest Side Rapid Response team member.

    The Department of Homeland Security says their operation “Midway Blitz” in the Chicago area is underway. They say they are targeting violent offenders who are here illegally.

    On social media, ICE posted a picture of one of their SUVs with the Chicago skyline behind it, saying they are here to remove the dangerous public safety threats.

    Late Monday, ICE said agents arrested at least four men from Mexico in the Chicago area on Sunday. They are accused of crimes like DUI, vehicular burglary, armed robbery, domestic battery, assault and sexual assault of a child, ICE said.

    “So far, it’s been successful. We have successfully arrested some criminal aliens over the last few days. We just began our surge. We’re going to be bringing in our our partners, our other DHS partners, DOJ partners, CBP partners coming in. So, they’ll be coming in and participating in this ICE-led operation,” said ICE official Marcos Charles.

    SEE ALSO | Katie Abraham’s father speaks out on DHS’ operation ‘Midway Blitz’ in Chicago area

    ICE said one arrest was made at 47th and Archer and another was made at 49th and Archer. ICE did not provide locations for the other two arrests.

    Video provided to ABC7 shows federal agents wearing badges that say “ICE” handcuffing a man near Archer and Pulaski. Neighbors say that man is a flower vendor.

    “We have confirmed in my ward… detained in my ward… there have been three people. One in 50th and Pulaski; he a was a street vendor selling flowers. The other, a couple of blocks down in Archer, was just standing on the sidewalk. The third one was waiting on the bus on 47th and Archer,” said Ald. Jeylu Gutierrez, who represents the 14th Ward. “This was never about arresting the worst of the worst. It’s been about terrorizing our community.”

    Gutierrez says the wife of the flower vendor has been notified, and the family is figuring out their next steps.

    On Monday morning, the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights says their teams were deployed to 61st and Kildare on Chicago’s Southwest Side after reports of immigration agents in the area.

    LIVE UPDATES | Chicago federal intervention: Tracking surge in immigration enforcement operations

    “What we do know is they attempted arrests, and there has been at least one arrest for today,” said ICIRR Senior Director of Deportation Defense Rey Wences.

    While announcing the immigration blitz on Monday, DHS also listed 11 specific people agents are looking for in Chicago.

    Many of those people were detained in the Cook County Jail for criminal cases, but later released.

    DHS accuses the jail of not cooperating. But in a statement on Monday night, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office says state law prohibits them from releasing any detainees into the custody of federal immigration authorities without a signed arrest warrant from a judge.

    Meanwhile, Evanston is also preparing for possible ICE raids in the coming days. The mayor there was tipped off by the governor’s office and sent out an email blast, letting residents know.

    “We’re also working with community partners. So for example, this morning, the high school sent an email blast as well to all of their families, knowing that some people might get ours and not theirs, some people might get theirs and not ours,” said Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss.

    The Evanston City Council will vote on a resolution calling for the state to address ICE agents wearing masks on Monday night.

    “We believe that it is just fundamentally wrong in a democracy for an agent of the state to use the power of the state without identifying themselves clearly with transparency and accountability,” Biss said.

    Many people in the Chicago area are wondering if this past weekend was the calm before the ICE storm.

    “Operation ‘Midway Blitz’ is not public safety. It’s a declaration of war on Mexicans and Latinos in Chicago,” said state Rep. Aaron Ortiz, who represents the 1st District.

    Immigrant advocates reminded the public to not provoke federal agents and to take video of any encounters from a safe distance.

    Religious leaders rally against immigration crackdown in Chicago: ‘Faith over fear’

    Religious leaders from a diverse group of faith backgrounds stood with one voice on Daley Plaza to decry the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

    Meanwhile, more than one dozen faith leaders came together on Monday, taking a stand against ICE raids and rallying in support of immigrants in a campaign they are calling Faith Over Fear.

    “ICE cannot survive the fire of a forge,” said Reverend David Black with the First Presbyterian Church of Chicago.

    “But what he’s done is rallying us together. I’ve not seen this in a long time. He’s fighting with all his weapons of his mouth and weapons of the army. We’re fighting for something. It’s our DNA, our faith, our faith is essential of who we are. He’s not ready for this and he’s not more powerful,” said Fr. Michael Pfleger with St. Sabina Church.

    Religious leaders from a diverse group of faith backgrounds stood with one voice on Daley Plaza to decry the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and the possibility of a National Guard deployment in Chicago, as the White House border czar says the use of National Guard troops to protect and support immigration enforcement operations is “on the table.”

    “This morning, as I dropped my kids off at school. Like so many of us in Chicago did this morning, we took our kids to school, but today felt different,” said Rev Sandra Van-Opstal with Lawndale Christian Community Church.

    “I’ve got to tell you, there’s a lot of fear. I live in the Pilsen/Little Village area, and it’s been quieter these past few days, and so, we suspect that people will be navigating the conditions in our city cautiously,” said Ray Wences with the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights.

    Little Village is all decked out in Mexican colors in advance of this weekend’s Independence Day celebration. Many street vendors are selling flags and other items for those gearing up for the festivities.

    “God stood on the side of the vulnerable and the oppressed,” said Mishkan Chicago founder Rabbi Lizzi Heydemann. “God split the sea for them and said to the world, the way that you treat the least among you, the strangers, the slaves, the servants, the way that you treat them is a test of your society.”

    The faith leaders are preparing to support those families who may be impacted by ICE detentions.

    “As a way to be able to walk with the families after something has happened, we’re going to reactivate a lot of the resource network that we had during the new arrivals mission and be able to partner with churches and other groups to be able to get emergency items out to all of them,” said New Life Centers CEO Matt DeMateo.

    SEE ALSO | ‘We’re not going to war’ with Chicago, Trump says, after sharing ominous meme

    A protest and a march against the operation are set to get underway in the Loop late Tuesday afternoon.

    Trump, meanwhile, continues to focus on Chicago crime as operation “Midway Blitz” ramps up.

    “And I don’t know why Chicago isn’t calling us saying, ‘Please give us help,’ when you have, over just a short period of time, 50 murders and hundreds of people shot, and then, you have a governor that stands up and says how crime is just fine. It’s really crazy,” Trump said.

    In an op-ed piece in the New York Times, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson addressed a possible National Guard deployment to address crime, saying in part, “lowering crime rates here does not require an occupation of our city by armed members of the National Guard, as the White House continues to threaten us with…. Sending in the National Guard is the wrong solution to a real problem.”

    Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker responded to the ICE post about coming after dangerous criminals, saying it is not about fighting crime, and that if it were, his administration would have heard from the Department of Homeland Security to coordinate efforts. The governor says this is about scaring Illinoisans.

    The ICIRR Family Support Network was founded to connect immigrant communities with support. They can be reached at 855-435-7693.

    A spokesperson for Pritzker, issued a statement, saying, “The Governor’s Office has received no formal communication or information from the Trump Administration. Like the public and press, we are learning of their operations through their social media as they attempt to produce a reality television show. As Trump has said himself, this is not about seriously fighting crime or reforming immigration – it’s about Trump’s plan to go to war with America’s third-largest city. If he cared about delivering real solutions for Illinois, then we would have heard from him. Unlike Trump’s reality show, we don’t like keeping people in the dark. Since we have learned of the Trump Administration’s plans to deploy federal agents and active-duty military to Illinois, Gov. Pritzker has shared information with the public and the Governor’s Office has remained in regular contact with leaders and partners at the City of Chicago, Cook County, the Illinois congressional delegation, state legislature, and mayors and representatives from the collar counties.”

    Johnson also issued a statement, saying, “We have received no notice of any enhanced immigration action by the Trump administration. We are concerned about potential militarized immigration enforcement without due process because of ICE’s track record of detaining and deporting American citizens and violating the human rights of hundreds of detainees. ICE sent a 4-year-old boy with stage 4 kidney cancer to Honduras, even though the child was an American citizen. There are more than 500 documented incidents of human rights abuses at detention facilities since Trump took office, including deaths of detainees and alleged cases of sexual abuse of minors by federal immigration agents. Because of these incidents and more, we remain opposed to militarized immigration enforcement that runs afoul of the Constitution in our city. We encourage residents to visit www.Chicago.gov/KYR to stay informed on their rights.”

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    Jasmine Minor

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  • South Korea will bring home 300 workers detained in massive Hyundai plant raid in Georgia

    SEOUL, South Korea — More than 300 South Korean workers detained following a massive immigration raid at a Hyundai plant in Georgia will be released and brought home, the South Korean government announced Sunday.

    Kang Hoon-sik, chief of staff for President Lee Jae Myung, said that South Korea and the U.S. had finalized negotiations on the workers’ release. He said South Korea plans to send a charter plane to bring the workers home as soon as remaining administrative steps are completed.

    Foreign Minister Cho Hyun is to leave for the U.S. on Monday for talks related to the workers’ releases, South Korean media reported.

    U.S. immigration authorities said Friday they detained 475 people, most of them South Korean nationals, when hundreds of federal agents raided Hyundai’s sprawling manufacturing site in Georgia where the Korean automaker makes electric vehicles. Agents focused on a plant that is still under construction at which Hyundai has partnered with LG Energy Solution to produce batteries that power EVs.

    Cho said that more than 300 South Koreans were among the detained.

    The operation was the latest in a long line of workplace raids conducted as part of the Trump administration’s mass deportation agenda. But the one on Thursday is especially distinct because of its large size and the fact that state officials have long called the targeted site Georgia’s largest economic development project.

    The raid stunned many in South Korea because the country is a key U.S. ally. It agreed in July to purchase $100 billion in U.S. energy and make a $350 billion investment in the U.S. in return for the U.S lowering tariff rates. About two weeks ago, U.S. President Donald Trump and Lee held their first meeting in Washington.

    Lee said the rights of South Korean nationals and economic activities of South Korean companies must not be unfairly infringed upon during U.S. law enforcement procedures. South Korea’s Foreign Ministry separately issued a statement to express “concern and regret” over the case and sent diplomats to the site.

    Video released by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Saturday showed a caravan of vehicles driving up to the site and then federal agents directing workers to line up outside. Some detainees were ordered to put their hands up against a bus as they were frisked and then shackled around their hands, ankles and waist.

    Most of the people detained were taken to an immigration detention center in Folkston, Georgia, near the Florida state line. None has been charged with any crimes yet, Steven Schrank, the lead Georgia agent of Homeland Security Investigations, said during a news conference Friday, adding that the investigation was ongoing.

    He said that some of the detained workers had illegally crossed the U.S. border, while others had entered the country legally but had expired visas or had entered on a visa waiver that prohibited them from working.

    Kang, the South Korean presidential chief of staff, said that South Korea will push to review and improve visa systems for those traveling to the U.S. on business trips for investment projects.

    The video in the player above is from a previous report.

    Copyright © 2025 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

    AP

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