Feds Start Making Immigration Arrests Across Chicago Area, with Top Trump Officials in Tow
Operations Underway, with Agencies Collaborating to Enforce U.S. Immigration Law
Top Trump administration officials joined law enforcement agents on Sunday as they started making targeted immigration arrests across the Chicago area, capping off a week of fear and confusion.
Agencies Involved in Operations
A spokesperson for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said a range of federal agencies were beginning to conduct “enhanced targeted operations” in Chicago on Sunday “to enforce U.S. immigration law and preserve public safety and national security by keeping potentially dangerous criminal aliens out of our communities.”
Locations and Scope of Operations
Ald. Daniel La Spata (1st) said federal officials were conducting operations in Logan Square.
The arrests were targeted across the Chicago area and didn’t impact churches or workplaces, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.
Partnerships and Collaborations
Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove and border czar Tom Homan spoke to officials from ICE and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), according to photos posted on the X account for the DEA’s Chicago office.
“The DEA, along with our Department of Justice partners, is assisting DHS and other federal law enforcement partners with their immigration enforcement efforts,” DEA spokesman Luis Agostini said.
Another photo shared on the social media platform showed a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol official working alongside officials from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
The ICE spokesperson said the FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service were also aiding the operations.
No Further Details Released
No further details of the operations, including locations or number of arrests, were made public Sunday.
A U.S. Department of Justice spokesperson told the Associated Press that Bove, President Donald Trump’s top appointee in the agency, is in Chicago to observe the operations.
New Developments
A tweet from NBC News’ Ken Dilanian stated: “New: A DoJ official tells NBC News that Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove “is on the ground in Chicago this morning to personally observe DHS immigration enforcement operations and support the efforts of FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, and federal prosecutors who are assisting DHS in…”
Reaction from Illinois Governor
During an appearance on CNN Sunday morning, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said there’s a difference between targeting undocumented “violent criminals” and law-abiding people when he was asked about the possibility of immigration raids in Illinois.
“They’re going after people who are law-abiding, who are holding down jobs, who have families here, who may have been here for a decade or two decades, and they’re often our neighbors and our friends,” Pritzker said.
“These are not people who are causing problems in our country, and what we need is a path to citizenship for them. We need to secure our border. We need to get rid of the violent criminals, but we also need to protect people, at least the residents of Illinois and all across the nation, who are just doing what we hope that immigrants will do.”
Conclusion
The immigration raids in the Chicago area, led by top Trump administration officials, have sparked fear and confusion among the community. While the operation aims to target undocumented “violent criminals,” critics argue that the raids will disproportionately affect law-abiding individuals and families.
FAQs
* What is the purpose of the immigration raids?
The purpose of the immigration raids is to target and arrest undocumented “violent criminals” and to enforce U.S. immigration law.
* Which agencies are involved in the operations?
A range of federal agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, are involved in the operations.
* How many arrests have been made?
No further details on the number of arrests have been made public.
* What is the reaction from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker?
Governor Pritzker has expressed concern that the raids will affect law-abiding individuals and families, and has called for a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.
