Federal Raids Trigger Chaos in Chicago’s Mexican Neighborhood

ICE raids shake Chicago Mexican community

Residents report fear and detentions

Supreme Court weighs National Guard deployment

Early on October 22, federal immigration agents stormed Little Village, the heart of Chicago’s Mexican community, as part of a large-scale immigration operation.

Witnesses described chaotic scenes as armed officers, some wearing masks, chased people through the streets and ordered nearby businesses to close along the busy 26th Street commercial corridor.

Videos captured by residents showed cars crashing during the pursuit and agents pointing weapons at bystanders.

The raids left several people detained or displaced, spreading panic across one of the most densely populated Mexican neighborhoods in the United States.

Operation Midway Blitz Sparks Alarm in Chicago

‘Reign of terror’: ICE raids hit Mexican neighborhood in Chicago amid court battles https://t.co/OXlsHzP8y7

— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) October 23, 2025

The operation is part of “Operation Midway Blitz”, launched by President Donald Trump on September 8 as part of his nationwide immigration enforcement campaign targeting Chicago.

According to the White House, the goal is to “capture the worst criminal immigrants.”

However, human rights groups and local organizations say the raids are sweeping up hardworking families and non-criminal residents, instilling fear throughout immigrant communities.

“These operations are indiscriminate and devastating,” said a spokesperson for the Illinois Immigrant Protection Network.

Legal Battles Reach the Supreme Court

Developing: At least five people, including vendors and a man doing laundry, were taken during a Border Patrol raid led by Gregory Bovino in Little Village.

Little Village, known as the ‘Mexico of the Midwest,’ is the second-highest grossing shopping district in Chicago. pic.twitter.com/KI8L6jqcJS

— Laura N. Rodríguez Presa (@LAURA_N_ROD) October 22, 2025

These ICE raids in Chicago coincide with a period of intense political and judicial tension, according to USA Today.

The U.S. Supreme Court is currently deciding whether President Trump can deploy the National Guard in Chicago to assist federal immigration agents.

On the same day as the raids, October 22, government attorneys agreed to uphold a temporary injunction from a federal judge that blocks troop deployment until the Supreme Court issues a ruling.

The Trump administration argues that military support is essential to protect immigration officers and ensure operational success.

Civil rights lawyers counter that such an action would mark a “historic militarization” of Latino neighborhoods such as Chicago’s Little Village and violate constitutional protections.

Judges from the Northern District of Illinois have already issued rulings against the Department of Homeland Security, citing possible violations of due process and civil liberties.

Despite these judicial setbacks, ICE raids have continued across residential areas of the city.

ICE Raids in Chicago Spread Beyond Little Village

The operation in Little Village was one of several carried out in the greater Chicago metropolitan area that weekend.

Federal agents also conducted raids in a South Side suburb on the same day.

And another on October 21 resulted in a shocking incident when a state representative was allegedly held at gunpoint by officers while documenting arrests in the North Side.

A Chicago city council member was briefly detained by agents after attempting to film the raid, further inflaming tensions between local and federal authorities.

Both officials have accused the federal government of violating their immunity and intimidating local leaders who oppose Trump’s immigration policies.

As fear spreads across Chicago’s immigrant neighborhoods, community groups and civil rights organizations are demanding an immediate halt to Operation Midway Blitz.

Advocates have also called for independent investigations into reports of excessive force, racial profiling, and unlawful detentions.