Politics
Cook County Officials Decry ‘Deceptive’ ICE Tactics as Immigration Operations Continue
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement vehicle is pictured in Chicago in an image uploaded to social media by the agency on Sept. 8, 2025. (Credit: ICE)
Cook County officials are calling out federal immigration agents for their “deceptive” tactics amid an increase in detentions and arrests carried out by masked, plain-clothes officers.
County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and others on Wednesday said the tactics employed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have left families “torn apart.”
“Residents following legal processes to become citizens have been detained,” Preckwinkle said at a press conference. “Even U.S. citizens have been subjected to harassment and unfair treatment. These practices create fear in our neighborhoods and erodes trust in law enforcement.”
County officials said plain-clothes federal agents in unmarked vehicles have refused to provide identification or even warrants in some instances as they carry out their immigration operations. They’ve introduced a resolution calling on county agencies to provide official communication to county commissioners whenever ICE conducts immigration enforcement on county property or buildings.
That includes arrests and interactions at multiple county courthouses in July and September. Cook County Public Defender Sharone Mitchell said federal agents have refused to say what agency they work for and rarely present a valid warrant when they make their arrests at those sites and take people away in unmarked vehicles.
“Whatever your stance on immigration is, these actions should be deeply concerning to anyone who cares about justice and transparency,” he said. “It’s created a deeply disturbing situation for the physical safety of our clients, witnesses and people on both sides of the criminal legal system.”
Immigration advocates in Chicago said they had noticed an uptick in immigration enforcement agents in recent days as Trump targets Democratic strongholds.
Gregory Bovino, the Border Patrol agent who spearheaded the immigration crackdown that sparked widespread protests in Los Angeles, and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem both arrived in Chicago Tuesday as part of the Trump administration’s plan to ramp up immigration arrests and deportations.
ICE on Tuesday announced arrests in Elgin as part of the ongoing “Operation Midway Blitz.” Federal officials have argued sanctuary policies “protect criminals … over the safety of American communities.”
Just like Chicago and the state of Illinois, Cook County is a “welcoming county” which means it restricts local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities.
Cook County Commissioner Alma Anaya said that operation has “terrorized communities” in her district.
“We saw families being ripped apart,” she said. “We saw families being ripped apart, we saw individuals who were either selling flowers or waiting for the bus be targeted and literally ripped from the streets without any criminal background.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
