PILSEN — Gov. JB Pritzker warned Chicagoans Tuesday that a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision could embolden federal immigration agents in the city to ramp up detentions of residents based on the language they speak or what they look like.
A day earlier, the launch of the “Operation Midway Blitz” campaign by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement coincided with a ruling from the nation’s high court that pressed pause on a lower court order that previously barred agents from relying on race, ethnicity or language, Reuters reported.
Agents — and vehicles bearing ICE insignia — could be seen in various corners of the city this week, and multiple arrests have already been reported. The highly publicized ICE surge, which followed weeks of speculation about a separate troop deployment to Chicago, has sown fear in the city, Pritzker said.
“People are, frankly, afraid. People are afraid to come out of their homes. They’re afraid to go shopping. They’re afraid to take their own children to school because they have mixed-status households,” Pritzker said on a visit to Pilsen Tuesday.
ICE said its newly announced operation is targeting undocumented people both in Chicago and the state of Illinois, according to a press release issued Monday.
ICE agents were seen Monday in the Cook County Courthouse, 2600 S. California Ave. An ICE van was parked outside the courthouse to gather video for a Fox News ride-along, an ICE spokesperson confirmed to Block Club.
“ICE is somewhere on the ground here. They already have been effectuating their plans. We have not seen the bulk of those ICE agents yet in communities, but we have seen some. And we know that they are gathering steam,” Pritzker said.
Pritzker confirmed about 200 ICE agents with access to 100 vehicles are expected to be in Chicago.
The governor shared his ire with Trump’s latest efforts during a Tuesday afternoon press event outside the National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St., in Pilsen.
Pritzker called President Donald Trump’s actions a “nefarious plan” aimed at disruption instead of law enforcement. He also accused the administration of using the latest rise in immigration enforcement as a pretense to possibly bring the National Guard to Chicago.
Trump and his administration has singled out Chicago among a short-list of Democrat-led cities to be painted as crime-ridden and in need of intervention. Yet Chicago is actually leading a national downward turn in violent crime, according to experts who study crime statistics. And there is no evidence to support undocumented immigrants are responsible for an outsized share of violent crime, according to the Gun Violence Data Hub.
“Donald Trump likes to talk about immigrants as criminals. These are not criminals. These are people who are genuinely here in this country, holding down jobs. They’ve been here for 10, 20 or 30 years. Raising families here. Paying taxes. Following the law. Doing the right thing,” Pritzker said.
The Supreme Court’s Monday ruling further ties the hands of state and local officials, making grassroots “know your rights” initiatives even more important, Pritzker said.
“So what we can do is make sure that people know their rights and that they’re staying out of their [ICE’s] way. That’s the best thing we can do,” Pritzker said. “We’re also taking them to court if they break the law in the state of Illinois.”
Tom Homan, Trump’s “border czar,” previously complained in January that Chicagoans were too well versed in their legal rights, making immigration raids in the city more difficult.
“As far as I’m concerned, ICE needs to take it down about three notches. And we need Tom Homan to focus on something other than his failures in Illinois,” Pritzker said. “One of the reasons that he’s been so unsuccessful is people know their rights here. They’re learning their rights. We have great organizations on the ground, and they’re doing exactly what they should be doing.”
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