CHICAGO (AP) - On Sunday, Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove visited Chicago to personally observe immigration enforcement operations that had been promoted by President Donald Trump. However, specific details regarding the operations, including their locations or the number of arrests made, were not disclosed on that day.
Bove’s trip to Chicago, the nation’s third-largest city, was aimed at supporting various federal agencies involved in these operations, which include the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. U.S. Department of Justice spokesman Chad Gilmartin confirmed Bove's purpose and the collaboration between different federal entities.
Local residents, particularly those within immigrant communities, have expressed apprehension for months leading up to the anticipated large-scale immigration arrests that the Trump administration had earmarked. In response, immigrant rights organizations have mobilized efforts to inform immigrants of their rights in the event of arrests. Chicago city officials have taken similar steps, disseminating information through public transit stations across the city.
Recently, on Friday, Chicago Public Schools officials experienced an alarming incident when they mistakenly believed ICE agents were present at an elementary school. This misperception prompted them to release statements, only to later discover that the agents were actually from the Secret Service. The arrival of immigration agents at educational institutions—traditionally considered off-limits until Trump's administration last week ended the policy—sparked significant backlash from community groups and local leaders, including Governor JB Pritzker.
Governor Pritzker, a vocal critic of Trump's policies, voiced concerns regarding the immigration operations and the potential targeting of immigrants. On CNN’s "State of the Union," he emphasized the need to focus on removing violent criminals while ensuring the protection of law-abiding residents, particularly immigrants contributing positively to society.
Chicago has been frequently criticized by Trump, and it stands out due to having some of the most robust sanctuary protections intended to prevent cooperation between city law enforcement and immigration agents. In response to ongoing policies and practices by ICE, several immigrant rights groups have filed a lawsuit seeking an injunction to prohibit certain types of immigration raids within Chicago.
Antonio Gutierrez, a representative from the Organized Communities Against Deportation—one of the plaintiffs—articulated the deep-seated fear within immigrant communities. He stated, “Immigrant communities who have called Chicago their home for decades are scared. We refuse to live in fear and will fight any attempts to roll back the work we’ve done to keep families together.”
