Archive · 17 Dec 2025
Border Patrol Agents Return to Chicago
Border Patrol agents came back to Chicago after a month to find and deport people who might have broken immigration laws.
They went to places like Little Village and a community center called Enlace Chicago.
Some people, like a state representative named Lilian Jimenez, think it's mean to do this, especially before the holidays.
The governor of Illinois, JB Pritzker, said the state wasn't told about the agents coming.
He told people to blow whistles and record if they see immigration agents.
The agents are looking for people who might have committed crimes, but some people are worried about families being separated.
U.S. Border Patrol agents returned to Chicago on December 16, 2020, after a month-long slowdown.
Agents conducted raids in the suburb of Cicero and Little Village, targeting a community center called Enlace Chicago.
State Representative Lilian Jimenez criticized the raids, calling them cruel, especially before the holidays.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker encouraged residents to blow whistles and record interactions with immigration agents.
The Department of Homeland Security stated that the operations aim to deport criminal offenders, but critics argue that families and non-criminals are also affected.
- Who
- U.S. Border Patrol agents, led by Gregory Bovino, and community advocates like Lilian Jimenez
- What
- Border Patrol agents conducted raids in Chicago immigrant communities
- When
- December 16, 2020
- Where
- Chicago, specifically in the suburb of Cicero and Little Village
- Why
- To enforce immigration laws and target alleged criminal offenders, according to the Department of Homeland Security
- Location
- Chicago, Cicero, Little Village
- Date
- December 16, 2020
- Agency Involved
- U.S. Border Patrol
- Key Figures
- Gregory Bovino, Lilian Jimenez, JB Pritzker, Donald Trump
- Community Centers Targeted
- Enlace Chicago
- Number of Agents
- About a dozen at the community center
- Governor's Response
- Encouraged residents to blow whistles, record interactions