Politics
‘Midway Blitz Never Ended’: Advocates Call for More Virtual Court Hearings as ICE Targets Courthouses
Advocates hold signs during a news conference in the Back of the Yards neighborhood on July 9, 2026, to discuss an increased resurgence in federal immigration enforcement activity in the surrounding area. (Eunice Alpasan / WTTW News)
A group of immigrant advocates is calling on judges to give more flexibility with remote court hearings as federal immigration enforcement agents shift to targeting immigrants at courthouses and immigration check-ins, advocates said during a Thursday news conference.
“They are targeting people who are doing everything by the rules,” Resurrection Project President and CEO Raul Raymundo said. “This is not justice. This is cruelty and fundamentally un-American.”
The advocates gathered in the Back of the Yards to sound the alarm amid an uptick in Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity on the Southwest Side, including in nearby Gage Park and Brighton Park.
“Here in Chicago, we have seen a shift away from highly publicized efforts and tactics to more targeted enforcement in our neighborhoods, homes, grocery stores, courthouses and other places where families live their everyday lives,” Enlace Chicago Executive Director and Illinois Latino Agenda co-chair Marcela Rodriguez said.
Advocates called on Cook County Chief Judge Charles Beach to give judges more flexibility for remote court hearings as federal immigration agents detain immigrants at courthouses and immigration check-ins. Those with upcoming court appointments are advised to prepare by memorizing the number of their legal representative, according to advocates.
Beach’s office did not respond to an immediate request for comment regarding its response to the advocates’ calls and how it is responding to arrests at courthouses.
In a May announcement, the office provided a reminder to the public and members of the legal community that virtual court appearance options remain available across Cook County.
“Access to justice means meeting people where they are,” Beach said in the May announcement. “Virtual court options reduce barriers for working families, caregivers, people with disabilities and anyone for whom traveling to a courthouse presents a real hardship.”
Gov. JB Pritzker signed a law in December that aimed to protect immigrants from federal enforcement near courthouses, hospitals, university campuses and day cares. The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit challenging the law shortly after it was signed, alleging that the law illegally “attempts to regulate and discriminate against the federal government.”
Thursday’s news conference comes after an ICE officer fatally shot Houston man Lorenzo Salgado Araujo earlier this week. During the news conference, an individual held a sign that said, “Chicago Stands With Houston.”
Reports of immigration-related arrests around the country surged at the end of June, including 10,000 arrests over a five-day period, according to a New York Times report. While the shows of force in Chicago might not compare to what residents saw during “Operation Midway Blitz” in the fall, immigrant rights advocates are seeing the impact.
Advocates reminded individuals to know their rights, create emergency plans and look out for neighbors.
“Let’s be clear, ‘Midway Blitz’ never ended,” Illinois Latino Agenda Co-Chair José Muñoz said.
Andrew Montequin contributed to this report.
Contact Eunice Alpasan: [email protected]
