Recent reporting documents rising immigration enforcement activity across Chicagoland as the Trump administration expands ICE’s funding, surveillance capabilities, and enforcement infrastructure
Former Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot is warning that federal immigration enforcement is becoming both harder to monitor and more powerful, citing recent investigations documenting increased enforcement activity across the Chicago region and the Trump administration’s ongoing expansion of immigration enforcement resources nationwide.
“Despite growing calls to rein in ICE, the federal government is moving in the opposite direction,” said Lightfoot. “Recent reporting shows immigration enforcement activity is increasing across Chicagoland even as it becomes harder for the public to see and document. At the same time, Washington is providing the agency with more money, more tools, and more power. ICE didn’t go away. It got quieter — and more powerful.”
“Congress should be holding ICE accountable. Instead, it is expanding the agency’s reach without meaningful new transparency, limits, or independent oversight. That comes even as courts continue to raise concerns about federal conduct and numerous Midway Blitz-related prosecutions have collapsed under scrutiny.”
“These troubling developments make state and local accountability even more urgent. Law enforcement must investigate alleged misconduct, prosecutors must file charges when the evidence warrants them, and public officials must make accountability for federal abuses a priority—not just a talking point. No one who breaks the law should be above it.”
Recent Reporting Raises Questions About ICE’s Expanding Presence in Chicago
Two recent investigations suggest federal immigration enforcement activity is increasing across the Chicago region even as it becomes harder for the public to observe and monitor.
ICE arrests shift to courthouses and immigration check-ins as enforcement intensifies in Chicago area
The Chicago Tribune reported on June 19th that immigration arrests have increased sharply across the Chicago area in recent months, citing courthouse enforcement operations, neighborhood arrests, and data from the Cook County Public Defender’s Office. The report documented at least 50 courthouse-related incidents and 26 detentions connected to Cook County courthouses between late February and June 9.
“ICE never really left:” car crashes and courthouse arrests mark spring escalation
Unraveled Press reported on June 15th that rapid-response groups verified at least 80 immigration detentions across Chicagoland between May 11 and June 15. Advocates interviewed by the publication warned the true number is likely significantly higher because federal agents have increasingly shifted toward faster, less visible enforcement actions that often occur outside public view.
The reports come amid a series of incidents that have drawn public attention:
- June 2, Albany Park: Federal agents chased, Tased, and detained a man during an enforcement operation near Lawrence and Kedzie. Video appeared to show a federal vehicle striking another driver’s car.
- June 9, Dunning: Masked federal agents pursued a vehicle through a residential neighborhood before it crashed into a tree. Video appeared to show an unmarked federal SUV striking the vehicle during the pursuit.
At the Same Time, Washington Is Expanding ICE’s Reach
- May 19: The Trump administration considered requiring banks to collect citizenship information from customers, creating a new source of immigration-related data.
- May 28: The White House launched Aliens.gov, a website publishing names, mugshots, and arrest information related to immigration enforcement, including information involving U.S. citizens.
- May 30: Reporting revealed ICE’s use of commercial advertising and location data as part of its immigration enforcement efforts.
- June 9: President Trump signed legislation providing nearly $70 billion in additional funding for ICE and Border Patrol without significant new accountability requirements.
“Taken together, these developments tell a clear story,” Lightfoot said. “While immigration enforcement becomes less visible in our communities, the federal government is giving ICE more resources than ever before. Going quieter does not make this campaign less dangerous. It makes accountability even more necessary.”
Former ICE Spokesperson: Agency Has Become “Unrecognizable”
The recent reporting echoes concerns raised by Gail Montenegro, a former spokesperson for the Immigration and Naturalization Service and ICE, who told WTTW’s Chicago Tonight on June 17 that Operation Midway Blitz was “unlike anything I had ever seen” and that the agency she represented for 15 years had become “unrecognizable.”
Montenegro cited racial profiling, enforcement in sensitive locations, and a departure from longstanding norms that once guided federal immigration enforcement across multiple administrations.
