ICE Requests National Guard support in Chicago Following Arrests, Sparking Concerns of Overreach
CHICAGO – U.S.Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has requested National Guard troops be deployed to Chicago amid heightened tensions following a series of high-profile immigration enforcement operations, dubbed the “Midway Blitz,” and allegations of aggressive tactics byโค federal agents.โ The request comes as Illinois governor JB Pritzker and local advocates accuse ICE of targeting innocent community members andโ escalating fears within immigrant neighborhoods.
The recent ICE operations have resulted in numerousโฃ arrests throughout the Chicago area. DHS officials maintain the operations are focused on detaining individuals with criminal records, citing arrests of individuals accused of crimes โขincluding sexual abuse of a child, domestic violence, and battery. โค
However, community membersโฃ and Governor Pritzkerโ dispute this claim. “They’re not โขtargeting violent criminals or gang โขmembers,” Pritzker stated.”They’re targeting tamale vendors.”
Examples cited by supporters include the detention of Laura Murillo, a โคwell-known tamale vendor onโ Chicago’s South Side, who wasโ detainedโข on September 25. The September 12 fatal shooting of Silverioโ Villegas Gonzรกlez, a Mexican immigrant,โ by an immigration agent โafter dropping his sons off at school has further fueled outrage.
Concerns have also been raised regarding the tactics employed by federal agents. The Broadview โขPolice Department is investigating reportsโฃ of federal agents firing crowd control weapons at aโข news reporter’s vehicle. Homeland Security officials haveโ not responded to repeated โrequests for comment regarding the inquiry.
Erรฉndira Rendon, a prominent Chicago-area immigration advocate and native of Mexico, expressed the fear felt within the community. “If โคyou look like me,โข you are in danger,” Rendon said, breaking down in tears while reading a โlist of names of those โคdetained by immigration agents on September 29. โ”DHS terrorizes our communities and showcases our pain on social media.”
Data fromโ the cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, indicates that in fiscalโข year 2025, 65% of immigration detainees have no criminal convictions, and 93% have no violent convictions.
The request for National Guard support has intensified the debate โฃover ICE’s tactics and the scope of its authority, raising questions about the balance โbetweenโ nationalโ security and the rights of immigrant โฃcommunities.