ICE Raids in Chicago Shelters Raise Alarms

ICE raids in Chicago shelters

Lawmakers demand immediate transparency

Migrant communities under threat

According to EFE, activists, and local and state legislators in Illinois denounced that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have stormed homeless shelters to detain undocumented immigrants.

The alert was raised Wednesday when the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) reported that ICE agents arrested and later released at least two people outside a shelter in the North Park neighborhood.

This building, formerly a Marine Corps Reserve training center, was purchased by the city in 2023 to serve as a shelter for asylum seekers and currently provides assistance to the homeless.

Activists warned that ICE raids in Chicago shelters represent a new tactic to detain people without legal status.

Political Rejection of Immigration Tactics

ICE is targeting homeless shelters in Chicago to deport immigrants https://t.co/PXfoPylxgd

— Agencia NDS (@agenciaNDS) September 24, 2025

Criticism was immediate as several elected officials labeled the raids an unacceptable abuse.

“This is inappropriate, repugnant, and unacceptable,” said Democratic state senator Ram Villivalam, demanding immediate answers.

Alderman Rossana Rodríguez Sánchez, who represents Chicago’s 33rd Ward where the shelter is located, compared ICE’s actions to extremist practices.

“We are facing an authoritarian regime that acts like white supremacists,” Rodríguez Sánchez said, condemning the criminalization of vulnerable communities.

ICE Raids in Chicago and Mass Deportations

ICE Raids in Chicago Shelters Raise Alarms – PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

According to activists, ICE raids in Chicago shelters go beyond what President Donald Trump announced in his plan for mass deportations.

They denounce that operations have included arbitrary arrests and detentions without due process, sparking fear among immigrants throughout the state.

The impact of these actions goes far beyond the official objective of targeting “the worst of the worst,” as federal authorities have claimed.

For communities, the perception is that this is an indiscriminate operation violating basic rights and eroding trust in institutions.

Letter to DHS Over “Operation Midway Blitz”

Photo: Shutterstock

Concern has reached Congress, where Democratic legislators from Illinois sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

The document, released Wednesday, questioned the use of “military-style tactics” by ICE agents during raids.

Lawmakers demanded transparency on the exact number of arrests made since the launch of “Operation Midway Blitz” on September 8.

“As we have seen, DHS is not focusing on the ‘worst of the worst,’ but rather on hardworking immigrants with no criminal records,” the letter states.

Lack of Transparency in Operations

The letter also denounced that members of Congress have been denied oversight of the facilities used in ICE operations.

Lawmakers further criticized the use of forced entry tactics during raids carried out with little clarity and no accountability.

Human rights organizations warned that the absence of official information deepens the sense of helplessness among immigrant communities.

Calls for transparency seek to stop the secrecy under which raids have been executed in several Illinois cities.

Migrant Communities on High Alert

Another alarming point is that possible arrests are being investigated in churches, schools, health centers, and businesses.

Historically, these spaces had been considered “sensitive locations,” off-limits to immigration authorities.

Activists fear this new strategy breaks with long-standing agreements and exposes immigrants in spaces where they should feel safe.

Illinois lawmakers insist DHS must halt these practices, provide clarity, and cooperate with local authorities.