Politics
Teen Brothers on Why They Became ICE Watchers in Chicago, Minneapolis
As the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration crackdown has swept across the U.S., countless people have been documenting federal agents’ actions, warning neighbors of their whereabouts with whistles and car horns, and uploading videos of encounters to social media.
Two people who have been on the front lines are Ben and Sam Luhmann, a pair of homeschooled teenage brothers from the Chicago area.
They kicked off their work as so-called ICE watchers when “Operation Midway Blitz” began in the Chicago region back in September, and most recently were on the ground in Minnesota documenting immigration enforcement actions in the Twin Cities.
The brothers joined “Chicago Tonight” to talk about their work.
On how they got started:
“My mom came in our room, turned my fan off, woke me up and said, ‘Hey, our family friend has been tracking ICE now for two weeks in Chicago, and he just called and said that they are five minutes from our house and they’re arresting somebody,’” said Ben Luhmann, 17.
Upon hearing the news, they drove to the site to see the aftermath of a raid on an apartment complex, which resulted in the detainment of around 15 people. “A bunch of protesters were still there, so we got connected to groups in the area,” Ben Luhmann said. “… Seeing how it’s impacted people has just further shown why we should be doing this.”
On the killing of Alex Pretti by federal agents:
“When we were, like, five to seven minutes away (from the scene), we heard that there were shots fired,” said Sam Luhmann, 16. “We arrived on the scene and people were already starting to get videos of the incident. People were telling us, ‘We think the guy’s dead.’ They shot this guy just for filming. We saw that when we got home, too, on the videos. During that process, they (agents) tear-gassed everybody just for being there and documenting the situation.”
The two federal immigration officers who shot and killed ICU nurse Pretti have been identified as Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection officer Raymundo Gutierrez. They are both on administrative leave.
On the use of force by immigration officers:
“They brutalize protesters,” Ben Luhmann said. “They grind their faces into the ground and people are dragged away, bloodied, bruised and battered. It just feels like they just want to beat us to the ground and show us that we can’t fight.”
Ben Luhmann said he has witnessed immigration officers caravanning down a street and “see a Black or Brown person walking on the sidewalk, and they jump out of their car, they surround them, and sometimes beat them up and put them in their car. Then minutes to hours later, they’ll just be dropped off miles away randomly. In some cases they’re not.”
There has since been an effort from the Minnesota and federal governments to ease the tension in Minneapolis. Border czar Tom Homan announced Wednesday that 700 agents would be pulled out of the city immediately, leaving approximately 2,000 remaining. Homan cited “unprecedented” cooperation from local officials as reason for the reduction.
On their parents’ reaction:
“Our parents are on the same page completely,” Sam Luhmann said. “It’s been a mix of reactions from other people with how they view it, but I think a lot of people are very supportive and positive.”
The brothers have six younger siblings — many of whom have participated in protests. They attribute their passion for social justice to being raised to “love your neighbor as you love yourself.”
