Chicago Immigration Raids: 4 Detained at Bronzeville Shelter, 37 Arrested at South Shore Apartments
CHICAGO, Illinois — Federal immigration enforcement operations swept through Chicago this week, with 4 people detained at a Bronzeville shelter Wednesday and 37 arrested at a South Shore apartment building Tuesday, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Bronzeville Shelter Raid Livestreamed
The raid at the Bright Star shelter in Bronzeville unfolded just after 9 a.m. Wednesday when seven unmarked federal vehicles pulled up outside the facility. Witnesses said agents chased migrants who were outside at the time, detaining four.
The shelter, which houses about 260 people, including migrants and unhoused Chicagoans, described the scene as “traumatizing”. Bright Star executive director Lakreshia Kindred said: “You see it on the news, you hear about it, but once it actually happens in your backyard it’s a completely different impact.”
South Shore Apartment Arrests
On Tuesday, DHS confirmed 37 undocumented immigrants were taken into custody at a South Shore apartment building. Officials said the location was known to be frequented by Tren De Aragua, a Venezuelan gang and its associates.
DHS officials linked the South Shore arrests to a larger wave of federal crackdowns in Chicago targeting gang-affiliated undocumented immigrants.
Wider Federal Crackdown Across Chicago
Federal agents have been seen operating in Albany Park, where video captured officers wrestling a man to the ground outside Roosevelt High School. Ald. Rossana Rodriguez said at least five people were arrested on the Northwest Side, with two arrests happening near schools. “There was no operation going on. They just saw people in vehicles, and they just took them,” Rodriguez said.
DHS Commander Gregory Bovino later posted on social media, warning: “The Green Machine will keep looking for those law violators living in the United States without any documentation. Want to live in this great country? Then do it the legal way.”
The escalating raids have left Chicago communities fearful and calling for answers about how immigration enforcement is being carried out. For more breaking updates on immigration and local safety, follow ChicagoMusicGuide.com.