Anti-ICE protesters confront police in Chicago
One month has passed since the “Operation Midway Blitz,” and protesters are taking to the streets in Chicago to protest the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
- Federal immigration agents conducted a crackdown in Chicago, arresting more than 1,500 people, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
- Everyone has the right to remain silent and is not required to reveal their immigration status when encountered by federal agents.
- ICE agents cannot legally enter a home without a warrant signed by a judge.
President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown in Chicago is impacting people in the city and surrounding suburbs.
Federal agents recently detained people in the majority-white neighborhoods of Lakeview and Lincoln Park before firing tear gas into a residential neighborhood on the North Side on Oct. 24, according to Block Club Chicago.
The Department of Homeland Security said it had arrested more than 1,500 people as of early October, but USA TODAY could not independently confirm that number.
Some immigration advocates are calling the arrests an “abduction.” Federal officials and agencies face lawsuits, including one from a Chicago City Council member who was briefly detained in a hospital and an ongoing lawsuit over accusations that agents violated restrictions on ICE’s ability to make arrests without warrants or during traffic stops.
Here’s what you need to know when encountering federal immigration officials, whether you’re a U.S. citizen or not.
If an immigration officer approaches or interacts with a public place
The Chicago Office of Immigrant, Immigrant and Refugee Rights released a guide titled “Know Your Rights and Resources: Defending Justice and Rights for All Chicagoans.”
A section by the Illinois Immigration and Refugee Rights Coalition states the following about your rights when dealing with immigration officials everywhere:
- You have the right to remain silent.
- There is no need to reveal your residence status.
- There’s no need to sign something you don’t understand.
- You can request a meeting with a lawyer.
It also advises people to remain calm and keep their hands out of sight.
When an immigration officer comes to your home
ICIRR explains that ICE agents have no legal right to enter a home without a warrant signed by a judge, and that some ICE warrants are signed by other employees within the agency and do not have the same legal authority as warrants signed by a judge.
The National Immigration Justice Center website has sample images to help you spot the differences between the two types of warrants.
Is it allowed to film immigration interactions?
According to legal precedent, filming law enforcement officers performing their duties in public places is subject to the First Amendment. According to a column published by the Cato Institute, the Supreme Court has not ruled explicitly on this issue, but seven federal circuits support it.
However, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in July that videotaping employees and posting it online could be considered “doxxing” and therefore violence against employees, according to CBS12.
The National Immigration Justice Center says that if you are filming or taking notes about what is happening, be careful not to disrupt or disrupt its operations.
ICIRR also has a hotline for witnessing ICE activity: 855-HELP-MY-FAMILY (855-435-7693).
Contributor: Michael Loria, USA TODAY
Kinsey Crowley is a Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Please contact kcrowley@gannett.com. Follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley or Bluesky (@kinseycrowley.bsky.social).
