CHICAGO (WLS) — One Chicago alderman is raising questions about how federal agents are handling their mission of mass deportations under President Donald Trump’s new administration.
And with the threat of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids remaining high, local volunteers are working overtime to keep immigrants living in the U.S. without legal permission vigilant and aware of their rights, especially in communities like Albany Park.
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As teams of ICE agents fan out across the city on a mission to arrest immigrants living in the U.S. without legal permission accused of violent crimes, many communities remain on high alert.
On Monday morning, word spread among a network of volunteers that agents might be targeting day laborers who often go to big box stores in the morning looking for work.
“So, this morning, there was a group of volunteers from all throughout the city that mobilized to check in on our neighbors that seek work at Chicago’s corner hiring sites,” said Miguel Alvelo, with Latino Union of Chicago. “We had about 20 people across nine different hiring sites in the city of Chicago.”
But, there was no evidence of any activity by federal agents who had formally made their presence known over the weekend.
One alderman said agents showed up at four different police stations around the city on Sunday.
“They just simply walked in, as members of the public would, and walked up to the counter, identified themselves as federal agents, and said they were on an arrest mission. That’s not the way to do that,” said 2nd Ward Ald. Brian Hopkins, chairman of the Public Safety Committee.
Chicago police could not confirm that, but Hopkins expressed frustration over how the feds are going about their arrest mission.
“They had Dr. Phil, you know, which lends a circus atmosphere to this entire thing. It’s just not the right approach to a very serious matter, and that is apprehending dangerous criminals who are not U.S. citizens,” Hopkins said.
TV show host Dr. Phil McGraw joined Tom Homan, Trump’s “border czar,” and ICE officers in Chicago on Sunday for “targeted operations” to enforce immigration law.
McGraw, who filmed an arrest and posted the footage to X, claimed officials detained an alleged convicted sex offender and internet predator from Thailand.
Sunday, Democratic state Sen. Graciela Guzman, who represents the Northwest Side, including Albany Park, got a call from some constituents about a neighbor who was detained by ICE agents as they left their home.
She said people are growing increasingly scared in this current climate.
“They are scared to go to work, scared to go to school, scared to leave the home, you know, to be able to go to things like clinic visits, go to their food pantry, go to the store, right? They’re second-guessing all of these decisions,” Guzman said.
Immigrant advocates say they do not expect the threat of ICE raids to go away anytime soon, reinforcing their commitment to look out for their community.
ABC News contributed to this report.
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