An immigration operation conducted by ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) created chaos on Monday in a suburban neighborhood near Chicago. Outraged residents clashed with masked and armed federal agents amidst protests, snowballs, and pepper spray.
According to reports from Telemundo News, locals spontaneously organized to prevent what they saw as arbitrary detentions, while ICE agents attempted to enter multiple homes in search of undocumented immigrants.
"We don't want ICE taking innocent people," shouted the residents, as shown in videos shared on social media.
The agents responded to the uproar with pepper spray, while some protesters hurled snowballs as a form of protest.
The event resulted in dozens of arrests, according to organizations like the Country Without Records Project, which documents cases of unjust deportations.
"He was my friend, not a criminal. They deported him just because they wanted to," a woman lamented about a childhood friend who was deported.
Data released by the Deportation Project at the University of California, Berkeley, following a lawsuit against ICE, reveal that between January 20 and October 15, 2025, more than 75,000 individuals without criminal records were arrested. This figure accounts for over a third of the 220,000 detentions made during the early months of Donald Trump's administration.
However, ICE claims that 70% of their arrests involve individuals accused or convicted of crimes in the United States.
It remains unclear how many of those arrested have been deported, but at least 22,000 opted for voluntary departure, according to documents cited by a television network.
The report further indicates that the Border Patrol has taken part in coordinated raids in several cities, which experts criticize as lacking transparency and being an intimidation campaign targeting migrant communities.
"They want people to be afraid to leave their homes or go to work," an analyst told Telemundo. "It's a terror strategy meant to immobilize immigrants."
The report notes that ICE has averaged 824 daily detentions under the Trump Administration, more than double the daily average recorded during Joe Biden's previous administration in 2024, which hovered around 320.
Approximately 90% of those detained are men, primarily from Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras, significantly affecting the construction sector and other industries employing migrant workers.
Key Questions on ICE Immigration Raids
What triggered the chaos in the Chicago ICE raid?
The chaos was sparked by an ICE operation attempting to detain undocumented immigrants, leading to protests from residents who viewed the detentions as arbitrary.
How did the community react to the ICE operation?
Residents spontaneously organized to block ICE agents from making arrests, resulting in confrontations involving pepper spray and snowballs.
What does the data say about ICE arrests during Trump's presidency?
Data indicates that more than 75,000 people without criminal records were arrested, making up over a third of the 220,000 detentions in the early months of Trump's administration.