Targeted immigration enforcement efforts underway in Chicago
CHICAGO (CBS) — Targeted immigration enforcement operations by multiple agencies were launched in Chicago Sunday, with top Trump administration officials in the city to oversee the operation.
Multiple sources told CBS News Chicago that those held by ICE Sunday have active warrants.
"What we saw is a coordinated effort to scoop up folks who have criminal allegations against them, or criminal convictions, and they are here in the country illegally," said CBS News Chicago security expert Phil Andrew. "What the administration has said is that they're targeting folks who have these records to remove them, and that's what they've committed to in these early stages of the new administration."
But there are concerns that the mission will not be limited to those with active warrants for long. In communities with large immigrant populations, people said they don't know where ICE will pop up or for who ICE is seeking.
Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, appointed by President Trump, oversaw the efforts of the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Marshals Service, Customs and Border Protection, and federal prosecutors, two U.S. officials familiar with the operation told CBS News.
Bove said in a statement:
"This morning, I had the privilege of observing brave men and women of the Department deploying in lockstep with DHS to address a national emergency arising from four years of failed immigration policy. In Chicago, and across the country, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, and federal prosecutors are working with DHS to secure the border, stop this invasion, and make America safe again. We will support everyone at the federal, state, and local levels who joins this critical mission to take back our communities. We will use all available tools to address obstruction and other unlawful impediments to our efforts to protect the homeland. Most importantly, we will not rest until the work is done."
Border czar Tom Homan was embedded with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers during the operation.
"You're going to see the numbers steadily increase, the number of arrests nationwide as we open up the aperture," Homan said. "Right now, it's concentrating on public safety threats, national security threats. That's a smaller population."
It was unclear late Sunday where the locations for the enforcement efforts were, or what specific actions took place. However, ICE confirmed that it conducted immigration arrests in the city on Sunday, with assistance from the Justice Department law enforcement agencies that were recently given immigration powers.
In a statement, ICE said:
"U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, along with federal partners, including the FBI, ATF, DEA, CBP and the U.S. Marshals Service, began conducting enhanced targeted operations today in Chicago to enforce U.S. immigration law and preserve public safety and national security by keeping potentially dangerous criminal aliens out of our communities."
The FBI, in a statement, said:
"The FBI, along with our Department of Justice partners, is assisting DHS and other federal law enforcement partners with their immigration enforcement efforts."
The Drug Enforcement Agency in Chicago shared in a post on X:
"The DEA, along with our @TheJusticeDept partners, is assisting @DHSgov and other federal law enforcement partners with their immigration enforcement efforts."
Andrew said the FBI is assisting in the enforcement action likely because it has helpful information and may have been investigating some of the people targeted by the enforcement action.
He added that immigrant communities — including many with undocumented populations — largely support such actions against people with criminal records or allegations.
"I think that there's broad agreement that folks who have criminal records, and certainly violent criminal behaviors that are here illegally, that there's not much support for keeping them," Andrew said. "But folks that are here that have minor infractions, or that have actually been here very peacefully and engaged and integrated into the community well, there's probably not much support for scooping those up, and if the administration is being smart about this, they're prioritizing folks that have violent criminal records and targeting them."
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said he supports any mission to remove convicted criminals who are undocumented.
"If that's who they're picking up, were all for it," Pritzker said on CNN Sunday.
However, Pritzker expressed his concern that the Trump administration will not stop there.
"What they're also doing though — and it's quite disturbing — is 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," said Pritzker, "and why are we going after them? These are not people who are causing problems in this country, and we need to secure a path to citizenship for them."
Homan confirmed other undocumented individuals would be subject to deportation efforts by ICE. He said Sunday, "If you're in the country illegally, you're on the table."
Chicago Police said the "department does not assist federal immigration authorities with enforcement action solely based on immigration status" and "does not document immigration status and does not share such information with federal authorities." That's in accordance with the City of Chicago's Municipal Code, which includes the Welcoming City Ordinance.
The CPD has maintained this stance despite Trump administration officials saying that those on the state and local levels who don't aid in the federal effort could be subject to consequences.
Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a statement Sunday:
"There have been confirmed reports of ICE enforcement activity in Chicago today, Sunday, January 26. Per City code, Chicago police were not involved in this immigration enforcement activity. My team and I are in close communication with City officials including the CPD. It is imperative that all Chicagoans know their constitutional rights and share the Know Your Rights guidance with their neighbors and community."
The enforcement efforts Sunday came after thousands protested against Trump's immigration policies in downtown Chicago on Saturday — calling on the Trump administration to end violence in Gaza and halt plans for deportations.
Some immigrant rights groups in the city have also filed a federal lawsuit against the administration Saturday, claiming the president's plans for immigration raids merely target the city over its sanctuary status and violate the U.S. Constitution.
Alderman concerned that people's rights will be violated
Despite knowing that ICE operations were inevitable, word that they actually took place early Sunday morning sent shockwaves across several immigrant communities.
While CBS News Chicago has learned that some arrests happened in neighborhoods like Portage Park and Logan Square, Ald. Michael Rodriguez (22nd), who represents a good part of Little Village, confirmed that he did not hear about any operations that took place in that community on Sunday.
It was also something verified with other local community groups.
Sources said the bulk of the operations that did take place happened before dawn, with some lasting until the late morning.
While it remains unclear where immigration enforcement action will happen next, Ald. Rodriguez said the big concern is around those who will likely get their rights violated in these sweeps.
"The federal government is not very clear. There is some sign that they're going after targeted individuals, but in our experience, whenever you go after anyone, other people, however innocent — significantly innocent— get caught up in that," Rodriguez said, "so the fact is that these fearful raids the raids, these sinister raids are unjust, and they're causing mayhem in our communities, and it's not right — and we're going to fight back on that."
Like many local officials who oppose this immigration action in Chicago, Ald. Rodriguez is encouraging those who are fearful of being targeted to know their rights when it comes to ICE.
Many organizations have been spending the last couple of weeks educating community members on those rights. It is an effort that shows no signs of slowing down in Little Village.
ICE has not just been in Chicago, but has also reported efforts in Los Angeles; Denver; and Newark, New Jersey.
Sources told CBS News Chicago they expect ICE to be on the ground in Chicago for at least the next few days.
