In a significant escalation of immigration enforcement, federal agents detained at least 10 individuals during a surprise monitoring check-in on Wednesday in the South Loop of Chicago.
Witnesses and community organizers reported that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents directed these individuals to attend an appointment at the office building located at 2245 S. Michigan Ave.
The news of the arrests spread rapidly across social media, prompting local activists and elected officials to gather at the scene to document the occurrences and provide support to the detainees.
Alderman Anthony Quezada, representing the 35th Ward, recounted the chaotic scene, stating that ICE agents physically pushed him to the ground as tensions escalated.
Quezada confirmed to Block Club the detention of at least 10 individuals based on information received from community advocates, who noted that the individuals had received text messages instructing them to come in for what they described as “surprise check-ins” under the federal Intensive Supervision Appearance Program.
Implemented to monitor non-citizens who had previously been detained and released while awaiting removal or immigration proceedings, this program’s recent application has raised significant concerns among community members.
Fadia Esquivel, a community member, described how her mother, Fadia Loza Salgado, was scheduled for a check-in appointment on July 14 but received a text urging her to attend on Wednesday instead. Upon arrival, she was taken into custody by immigration authorities, Esquivel reported.
As agents began leading detainees out to waiting vans, the atmosphere outside the building became increasingly tense.
Many agents were spotted wearing face coverings and carrying long firearms, pushing back demonstrators—comprised of alderpeople and local residents—attempting to protest the actions taking place.
Quezada remarked on the aggressive tactics employed by the agents, highlighting the distress felt by attendees at witnessing these actions unfold.
Among those detained was a dedicated member of the advocacy organization Organized Communities Against Deportations, Antonio Gutierrez disclosed.
Gutierrez explained that the woman had previously attended an appointment at the same facility two months prior, where she was placed under ankle monitoring.
Receiving a text invitation for another check-in on that fateful Wednesday, she arrived with her lawyer but was promptly separated and detained, leading to an urgent call for public support to peacefully demonstrate against deportations.
“It’s a shame what we witnessed today,” Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, representing the 25th Ward, expressed, adding that the city would not tolerate such actions against its residents.
Police vehicles and uniformed officers from the Chicago Police Department (CPD) were also present at the incident scene.
As the demonstration unfolded, a chant of “Who do you protect? Who do you serve?” echoed among the crowd.
A spokesperson for the CPD, Tom Ahern, clarified that the officers were there solely for public safety reasons and were not engaging with federal immigration enforcement activities, as per the provisions of Chicago’s Welcoming City Ordinance, which prohibits cooperation between local law enforcement and ICE.
Ahern stated, “All actions taken by CPD during this incident were in accordance with CPD policy and the City of Chicago Municipal Code. No arrests were made by CPD and the crowd dispersed without incident.”
Despite these assurances, tensions escalated further, prompting Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez, representing the 33rd Ward, to describe the confrontations as “absolute brutality.”
She, Quezada, and Sigcho-Lopez responded immediately to a call from local organizers and found themselves in the midst of a volatile situation, aiming to gather information and deter ICE from executing the arrests.
“What I witnessed today left a chilling effect,” Rodriguez-Sanchez affirmed, echoing the sentiments of concern among city officials.
In light of Wednesday’s events, lingering questions arose regarding the procedures followed by ICE agents and the implications for community safety and family unity.
The aldermen present at the scene, including Quezada, Sigcho-Lopez, and Rodriguez-Sanchez, announced their intention to call upon Mayor Brandon Johnson and the City Council to hold a hearing aimed at reviewing the events of the day.
Ald. Andre Vazquez, chair of the city’s immigration committee, articulated the deep levels of distress felt within the community.
“We’re seeing families being separated and torn apart by the state, the government, by people with weapons,” he stated.
The Mayor’s Office later released a statement expressing disapproval of ICE’s tactics, characterizing the actions taken earlier that day as reckless and dangerous.
“They should never be allowed to come into our city and assault elected officials or any Chicagoan,” the spokesperson asserted.
In addition, U.S. Representative Delia Ramirez addressed the situation directly, calling for the resignation of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in light of the day’s developments.
Her letter to Noem and Todd Lyons, the acting director of ICE, emphasized the concerning nature of this latest enforcement action, which seemed to align with a troubling goal of escalating arrests tied to the directives of the current administration.
Ramirez underscored that the alternatives to detention program, which aimed to provide a safe pathway for families to remain intact while engaging with their communities, was being undermined by the recent ICE actions.
“Using text messages to call people into ISAP facilities to arrest the exact immigrants who are demonstrating their commitment to the rule of law runs counter to every claim the Trump Administration has made,” she wrote.
The situation surrounding the arrests has escalated concerns within the city, particularly as recent days have seen multiple community members encountering ICE agents in various contexts.
Just days prior, two workers from a popular Pilsen eatery were arrested under similarly troubling circumstances without the requisite judicial warrants, raising alarms about the aggressive tactics employed by federal agents operating in the city.
As awareness of these enforcement actions spreads, community resilience is strengthening.
With neighboring residents banding together to ensure everyone knows their rights in the wake of these federal initiatives, it appears there may be a growing movement aimed at resisting the increasingly stringent immigration enforcement across Chicago.
Reports indicate that similar ICE operations in other cities, like San Diego and Minneapolis, have been met with substantial public backlash, suggesting a nationwide response may be forming against current immigration policies.
image source from：https://blockclubchicago.org/2025/06/04/ice-mass-arrest-sparks-chaos-in-south-loop-as-activists-fight-to-disrupt-operation/
