An Illinois state senator went viral after video captured her racing down a suburban street Monday warning residents to stay in their homes as she confronted masked agents.
Illinois Sen. Karina Villa is seen in the video telling residents to “stay in your houses” as she walks down a street in the West Chicago suburb.
“Don’t open your doors if there’s not a warrant,” she can be heard shouting.
The video then shows a vehicle with what appear to be masked agents.
“This is my city, that’s rights,” Villa shouts at the group. “Take off your masks.”
As the vehicle pulls away, Villa tells people in both English and Spanish to “stay inside your houses, do not come out.”
Villa later shared a video on social media Monday to call out Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents who she said were conducting enforcement operations in the area.
“… This morning we have received reports that ICE is coming, and I have seen them masked people, masked individuals. We don’t know who they are,” she said in the video.
On Monday, protests were held in front of a company that produces several types of desserts and other foods. Protesters said ICE may have executed enforcement at the facility, but in an email a company spokesperson said “ICE has not entered our facility.”
Villa said individuals who appeared to be masked ICE agents approached people in the community.
“These masked individuals came upon people with the color of my skin and picked them up,” she stated. “One of them was in a van. There was about 13 people, including a minor. One was at a grocery store, an apartment complex, and someone simply walking on the side of the street. This is why we have gathered here today to talk about and show the strength of this community, this immigrant, beautiful community.”
Immigrant rights have arrived to provide residents guidance on how to deal with ICE.
“They were here in West Chicago,” said Damian Kogan with the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. “They were in Little Village yesterday, they were in Franklin Park on Friday, and they are doing everything they can to make sure people know their rights and that they are documenting the violations of law that these masked men are continuing to permeate across our communities.”
The White House previously announced it was conducting an enforcement effort, “Operation Midway Blitz,” in the Chicago area.
NBC Chicago hasn’t received confirmation from federal officials about how many people may have been detained in West Chicago, though arrests were confirmed in other locations.
Homeland Security Sec. Kristi Noem posted a video on her social media feeds of a raid Tuesday morning in Elgin, with three men, all of whom were allegedly undocumented immigrants, taken into custody from the rental property in the neighborhood.
NBC 5 Investigates asked DHS how many people have been detained or arrested since increased immigration enforcement operations known as “Operation Midway Blitz” began last week. DHS did not provide a number but pointed to a press release showing 11 individuals who they labeled as some of “worst of the worst.”
Noem said that the administration has made its position clear that it will go into so-called “sanctuary” communities, like in the state of Illinois, to enforce immigration laws.
“President Trump has been clear: if politicians will not put the safety of their citizens first, this administration will,” she said. “I was on the ground in Chicago today to make clear we are not backing down.”
At the same time, Gregory Bovino, a border patrol chief who recently led ICE efforts in Los Angeles, posted to social media early Tuesday morning, saying “Operation at Large” has arrived in Chicago.
“Well Chicago, we’ve arrived!,” a message posted to X by Bovino read. The message was accompanied by a video of what appeared to be border patrol agents walking and driving through parts of the city and suburbs.
“Operation At Large is here to continue the mission we started in Los Angeles—to make the city safer by targeting and arresting criminal illegal aliens,” the post said.
Villa reported again Wednesday that agents were spotted in the West Chicago suburb, though no arrests were immediately reported.
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