'Fear enforcement, not law enforcement': Why Chicago is protesting Trump’s ICE raids

Immigration enforcement operations in the Chicago area have triggered sustained protests, legal challenges, and political backlash from state and local officials.

The raids, carried out under President Donald Trump's administration, have drawn criticism for their scope, tactics, and impact on immigrant families and US citizens.

What triggered the protests?

On 8 September, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) launched Operation Midway Blitz, a large-scale effort in the Chicago area targeting undocumented immigrants with criminal records.

The operation, which has involved ICE, the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), has led to more than 800 arrests. Federal agents have been staging from Naval Station Great Lakes in suburban Chicago, with support for hundreds of personnel and vehicles.

Critics say the raids represent a shift away from targeted enforcement. ICE dropped a long-standing policy requiring officers to file detailed worksheets before making arrests, instead adopting a streamlined digital system. Rights groups argue this change opens the door to indiscriminate sweeps.

The South Shore raid

The most visible moment came on 30 September, when federal agents stormed a South Shore apartment complex. Using military-style trucks and a helicopter, agents arrested 37 people, most of them Venezuelans. DHS said the building was linked to members of Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang.

Two confirmed gang members and one suspect were detained, but other arrests included residents with no violent criminal records. Witnesses reported property damage, US citizens temporarily detained, and children separated from parents.

Law enforcement officers during a standoff with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and federal officers in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, US, October 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Jim Vondrusk

What are protesters saying?

Protests have grown outside ICE facilities, including the detention center in Broadview, as well as in neighborhoods across Chicago. Faith leaders, activists, and officials have joined demonstrations.

Key criticisms include:

• Due process violations: Rights groups allege ICE breached a 2022 consent decree requiring warrants for arrests in the Chicago area. Court filings cite US citizens wrongly detained and immigrants arrested without probable cause.
   
• Family separation: Advocates warn the raids have separated children who are US citizens from undocumented parents. Officials say this echoes past federal tactics meant to pressure immigrants to leave.
   
• Militarization: Residents and officials describe the raids as excessive, citing the use of helicopters, tactical vehicles, and masked agents.
   
• Community trust: Local leaders argue the raids are driving fear in immigrant neighborhoods and eroding cooperation with police. "These are not law enforcement actions, they are fear enforcement," North Chicago Mayor Leon Rockingham Jr. said.
   
• Troop deployment: Trump authorized the use of up to 300 National Guard troops to secure federal assets in Chicago, a move Illinois officials say would escalate tensions and pit service members against their own communities.
  Law enforcement officers confront demonstrators during a standoff with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and federal officers in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, US, October 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Jim Vondruska

What incidents fueled opposition?

Several high-profile confrontations have deepened opposition:

• Civilian detentions: In South Shore, US citizens reported being handcuffed or questioned before being released. Children were separated from parents, with neighbors describing chaotic scenes.
   
• Use of force: In Broadview, ICE agents fired chemical projectiles and rubber bullets at protesters. A journalist's vehicle was allegedly struck by a pepper ball.
   
• Armed clash: Border Patrol shot an armed woman after a group rammed vehicles into enforcement trucks. She later drove herself to a hospital.
   
• Warrantless arrests: Families have been detained without warrants in public spaces, including Millennium Park. Legal residents and citizens were also briefly detained in suburban West Chicago.
   

What does Trump say?

The Trump administration has defended the raids as necessary to target undocumented immigrants with criminal ties and to protect public safety. Officials point to the arrest of gang members in South Shore as evidence of the threat.

The Department of Homeland Security says replacing paper documentation with a digital platform allows agents to operate more efficiently. Trump has argued that federal intervention, including National Guard deployment, is justified by what he describes as "lawlessness and violent riots" in Chicago.

What do protesters want?

Demonstrators and immigrant rights advocates are calling for:

• An immediate halt to Operation Midway Blitz.
   
• Enforcement of legal safeguards against warrantless arrests.
   
• An end to family separations and detentions of US citizens.
   
• Limits on militarized tactics and use of federal troops in cities.
   
• Greater support and protection for immigrant communities.
   

Faith leaders, such as the Rev. Tyrone McGowan, frame the protests as community defense. "Neighbors and organizers, not soldiers, are what keep communities safe," he said at a recent rally.

A law enforcement officer confronts a demonstrator, as another one is detained, during a standoff with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and federal officers in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, US, October 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Jim Vondruska

How are Chicago officials responding?

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Attorney General Kwame Raoul, both Democrats, have strongly opposed the operation.

• Legal action: Raoul warned of lawsuits if federal troops are deployed. Illinois is also part of a multistate challenge to Trump's attempt to withhold federal funds from jurisdictions that limit cooperation with ICE.
   
• Consent decree: State officials support lawsuits brought by immigrant rights groups over warrantless arrests and alleged violations of the consent decree.
   
• Public criticism: Pritzker accused the Trump administration of focusing on "scaring Illinoisians" instead of addressing crime. He said Illinois "is not a war zone or a photo opportunity."
   
• Local stance: Mayors in immigrant-heavy suburbs, such as West Chicago, have assured residents their police departments are not cooperating with federal raids.
   

Chicago has become a flashpoint in Trump's immigration crackdown, with large-scale raids sparking legal battles, protests, and political resistance. Federal officials argue the operations are aimed at criminals, while critics say the tactics are broad, heavy-handed, and unlawful.