CHICAGO - Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents are reportedly conducting increased enforcement activity at Home Depot stores across Chicago, prompting concern from immigrant rights groups who say the locations are being targeted despite previous assurances from ICE officials.
Rapid response teams formed by immigrant rights organizations report multiple detentions of undocumented workers at Home Depot sites in the last two days. On the Northwest Side, five people were arrested by ICE agents while traveling to work, advocates said. Video footage from a Home Depot at 47th and Western appears to show uniformed federal agents conducting an immigration enforcement mission on Wednesday.
The increased activity comes as ICE is conducting two separate immigration enforcement operations in the Chicago area: “Operation Midway blitz” and “Operation At large.” While officials stated the goal of “Operation Midway Blitz” was to target non-citizens with pending criminal charges or convictions, ICE has acknowledged that anyone found to be undocumented during the operation is also eligible for deportation.
“Operation at Large,” led by U.S. Customs and Border Protection commander Gregory Bovino – who previously oversaw immigration crackdowns in Los Angeles – is reportedly taking a broader approach. Sources indicate this operation will resemble the Los Angeles effort, with more widespread raids. Bovino’s team has a history of targeting locations like Home Depot and car washes.
“ICE has targeted Home Depot corner hiring sites … where day laborers – our neighbors who build, paint, fix, and beautify this city – have been the target of these unwarranted attacks,” said Miguel Avelo Rivera with Latino Union of Chicago.
Previously, the head of ICE’s deportation branch in the Chicago area told CBS News they would not target Home Depot as part of “Operation midway Blitz.”
Immigrant advocates are documenting the activity and providing support to affected communities. “That details is shared with trained rapid response volunteers that than go into the community and ensure that we can verify and document the activity that’s going on,” said Stephanie Alejandro Ortega, with the Northwest Side Rapid response Team.Sandra Puebla, also with the Northwest Side Rapid Response Team, emphasized the importance of community unity, stating, “Time and time again, we have seen that a united neighborhood is a safe neighborhood.”
