Human Impact Project

ICE agents arrested at least two people in the parking lot of Thermoflex Corporation, a manufacturing plant at 1514 South Lakeside Drive in Waukegan, on Wednesday morning. The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights confirmed the ICE activity in Lake County. The arrests occurred less than two months after federal agents arrested another person outside a nearby Uline warehouse on May 13, 2026, and made additional arrests in the Waukegan area that same day. ICIRR reminded residents who encounter federal agents that they have the right to remain silent, speak with an attorney, refuse to sign documents and record police activity.

Jose Enrique Ojeda Duarte, a 31-year-old Venezuelan asylum-seeker and father of two who entered the U.S. legally in 2024, was arrested by ICE agents in Chicago on September 15, 2025, while driving to work during Operation Midway Blitz. He was told he was being taken to a court date but instead spent about seven months in detention, including at Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas, where he described 'inhumane' conditions such as frozen or expired food and lack of medical care when he contracted COVID-19. In April 2026, despite his pending asylum case, he was deported to Venezuela; DHS later admitted in court filings that a data error in its removal system caused the wrongful deportation. After his attorneys and partner, Leydimar Castillo, pushed for his return, a federal judge intervened and he was brought back to the U.S. in June 2026, reuniting with Castillo and their two children on Chicago's South Side. He has since struggled with anxiety, insomnia and fear, saying, 'Sometimes, I get a terrible feeling, like a fear of going out.' His asylum case remains unresolved.

Javier Cortez Sanchez, a hardworking father and husband with a valid work permit, was detained by ICE in Joliet after being mistaken for another person. He is the primary financial provider for his family and has left behind a young son who asks daily when his father will return. His family is struggling with his absence and seeking legal support to bring him home, as Javier experiences depression and despair in detention.

Omar Bautista Carvajal, a Colombian immigrant with a valid work permit and no criminal record who had been deemed a low safety risk, was detained by ICE agents in the Chicago area on his way to English class on October 4, 2025, as part of 'Operation Midway Blitz.' His wife, Jasbleidys Hernandez, said his health deteriorated in custody and that ICE did not prioritize his medical needs or meals; an immigration judge ordered his removal on May 5, 2026, and he was deported to Colombia on July 22, 2026. Unable to afford living in the U.S. without his income, Hernandez and their two younger children, including daughter Victoria, departed from O'Hare International Airport to reunite with him, while their 19-year-old son, Juan Jaimes, chose to stay in Chicago, saying he feels his future is there. Bautista Carvajal was among more than 600 people named in a federal class-action lawsuit arguing they should not have been detained, though a court overturned an order for his release before his removal.

A man who was legally in the United States and in the asylum process was detained by ICE at Chicago airport, according to his immigration attorney Joe Moravec. He is currently being held by ICE.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained 15 people during raids in Bloomington-Normal from July 1-3, 2026, according to the Immigration Project. The detainees had entered the United States legally from Venezuela, Mexico, Ecuador, and Guatemala. Most were apprehended at their workplaces throughout the community. About half were described as long-term residents, while others had recently arrived. Many had been granted humanitarian parole under the Biden administration or had applied for asylum; a few had pending family petitions. One detainee was unaware of a missed immigration court date and was ordered deported in absentia. In several cases, families were separated, including some in which the primary breadwinner was detained. One detainee was denied a breathing machine while in confinement. The detentions are part of a nationwide ICE enforcement effort that reportedly captured more than 10,000 people during a five-day period. As of July 10, the Immigration Project said it had confirmed 15 families were impacted and was providing legal and social services support; the group said it had received no additional reports of ICE activity in the area and was hopeful enforcement operations had ended there.

Saray Yuliandris Gonzalez-Gonzalez, a Venezuelan mother, and her child were detained by ICE agents at Cook County's Bridgeview Courthouse while appearing for court proceedings related to a retail theft charge. According to DHS, Gonzalez-Gonzalez was released by the Biden administration in September 2023 and received a final order of removal in May 2024. Both she and her child remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

On June 17, 2026, ICE agents detained three people—a man, a woman, and a child—at the Bridgeview Courthouse in Illinois. The man had run through courthouse security before deputies stopped him; ICE then handcuffed and removed him, claiming to possess an arrest warrant that was never presented for inspection. The woman and child were detained earlier that morning as they attempted to enter the courthouse. State and local officials, including State Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid and multiple elected representatives, characterized the detentions as violations of Illinois state law and a Cook County court order prohibiting civil immigration arrests at courthouses without judicial warrants.

Jenner Edilzar Roldan-Perez, a Guatemalan national, was arrested by ICE agents at Kane County Courthouse on June 15, 2026. According to DHS, Roldan-Perez has a prior arrest for battery and domestic violence and has been subject to a removal order since October 2019.

Three teenagers from Collinsville, Illinois—16-year-old Jesus Alexis Cruz and 19-year-olds Hector Cruz Sanchez and Jonathan Godoy—were detained by ICE on June 9, 2026, after a traffic stop by Morrisonville Police for a vehicle licensing violation. After the vehicle was towed and the teens left at a gas station, ICE agents took them into custody. Cruz was transported to a juvenile detention facility in Texas; Sanchez and Godoy were sent to Ste. Genevieve Detention Center in Missouri. Illinois state officials, including the Attorney General's office, State Rep. Katie Stuart, Rep. Nikki Budzinski, and candidate Marsie Geldert-Murphey, have begun investigating whether the police's involvement violated the state's TRUST Act, which prohibits local law enforcement from assisting federal immigration enforcement.

On June 9, 2026, three teenagers were stopped by Morrisonville police in Christian County, Illinois while traveling together to work. Police determined the vehicle lacked proper licensing and towed it. While waiting at a nearby gas station, ICE agents took the teens into custody. Hector Cruz Sanchez, 19, and Jonathan Godoy, 19, were among those detained and subsequently transferred to Ste. Genevieve County Jail in southeastern Missouri, which holds ICE detainees under contract.

Jesus Alexis Cruz, 16, was detained by ICE following a traffic stop in Morrisonville, Illinois on June 9, 2026. Local police towed his vehicle, and ICE agents subsequently picked him up at a nearby gas station. Cruz's family, which includes documented relatives, requested his release to their custody, but ICE denied the request. He was transferred to a juvenile detention facility in Texas without family involvement in the transport. Representative Nikki Budzinski's office became involved to seek answers regarding his detention and transfer.

Three Collinsville, Illinois teens — Jesus Alexis Cruz, 16; Hector Cruz Sanchez, 19; and Jonathan Godoy, 19 — were detained by ICE on June 9, 2026, in Morrisonville, Illinois, while traveling for a summer job doing internet line work. They were pulled over by the Morrisonville Police Department, after which ICE took them into custody. Cruz, 16, is being held at an unidentified detention facility in Texas, while Sanchez and Godoy are detained at Ste. Genevieve Detention Center in Missouri. The Illinois Attorney General's Office noted that state law sharply limits local police participation in federal immigration enforcement, and State Rep. Katie Stuart called the incident "horrifying." U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski said her office is seeking answers and pledged to use oversight tools to demand transparency, noting the detentions came two weeks after she toured the Ste. Genevieve facility and heard detainee concerns about access to medical care.

Gabriel Yonathan Gonzalez Godoy, 23, from Honduras, was pulled over on Illinois Route 48 when his work vehicle's license plate was flagged for expired registration. Police impounded the truck containing fiber wiring equipment and transported him and two others to a gas station, where ICE agents arrested all three. Gonzalez Godoy was initially held at Ste. Genevieve County Jail in Missouri. On June 22, a federal immigration judge approved his request for voluntary deportation to Mexico, and he was deported by ICE.

Hector Cruz-Sanchez, 19, from Mexico, and Jesus Alexis Cruz, 16, from Collinsville, Illinois, were detained by ICE on June 9, 2026, after Morrisonville Police stopped their vehicle on Illinois Route 48 for expired registration during a work trip. Police impounded the truck and transported the three occupants to a gas station, where ICE agents arrested them. Cruz-Sanchez was initially held at Ste. Genevieve County Jail in Missouri before being transferred to Port Isabel Service Processing Center in Texas, while the 16-year-old was transported to a juvenile detention facility in Texas. Family representatives alleged police violated the Illinois Trust Act by facilitating the ICE pickup and characterized the transfer of the minor as a kidnapping due to denial of information about transportation and family accompaniment across state lines. U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski's office sought information about the detentions and raised concerns about the circumstances, particularly regarding the age of one detainee.

A Polish immigrant was detained by ICE agents on June 9 after federal immigration agents chased his vehicle through the Dunning neighborhood on the Northwest Side. Surveillance footage shows the chase beginning around 10:24 a.m. on West Grace Street, with an ICE vehicle colliding with his car before it crashed into a tree in the 3800 block of North Olcott Avenue. He then fled on foot before being apprehended. DHS characterized the operation as a targeted enforcement action.

On June 8, 2026, plainclothes ICE agents in multiple vehicles conducted an operation near the Will County Courthouse in downtown Joliet at approximately 10:56 a.m. on Jefferson Street. Activists from Warehouse Workers For Justice reported witnessing and confirming an abduction from the courthouse area. The operation involved multiple sport utility vehicles including a blue Ford Edge, a black Ford Escape, and a gray Chevy Tahoe. Joliet police and Will County sheriff confirmed the agents were not their officers. ICE officials declined to provide details about the operation.

Iraqi national team striker Aymen Hussein was detained and questioned for nearly seven hours by U.S. authorities upon arrival at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. During his detention, U.S. border security officials inspected his mobile phone and reviewed his documents. Hussein was eventually cleared and allowed entry to rejoin his team. However, Talal Salah, the Iraqi team's official photographer, was held for over 10 hours and ultimately denied entry to the United States.

ICE agents detained a man in Albany Park on Tuesday morning, using a Taser on him while he was already handcuffed on the ground near the intersection of Kedzie and Lawrence avenues. During the arrest, a black Nissan SUV believed to be driven by an ICE agent struck a woman's sedan stuck in traffic; the SUV driver fled the scene. Witnesses reported agents chased and arrested the shirtless man in what neighbors described as a chaotic operation. About 12 neighbors and at least one journalist gathered at the scene, blowing whistles and filming federal agents. One federal agent pointed what appeared to be a Taser at the group of bystanders and the journalist while shouting at them to move back. During the operation, agents also dropped a loaded magazine clip. Following the incident, organizers announced an emergency protest for Wednesday evening at Horner Park to oppose what they characterized as aggressive and reckless federal immigration enforcement tactics.

Domer Jesus Martinez-Sifontes, a Venezuelan national who entered the United States in 2023, was arrested by ICE agents in unmarked vehicles on June 2 in the Albany Park residential neighborhood. The arrest resulted in a collision involving a civilian vehicle. According to ICE, Martinez-Sifontes assaulted officers while resisting arrest and attempted to flee on foot. During the confrontation, dozens of neighbors gathered in the street with whistles and cameras. Martinez-Sifontes remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.