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Editor’s note: The Chronicle granted anonymity to one student source due to the sensitive nature of immigration enforcement and personal safety concerns.
Early on Sept. 15, 2025, residents reported sightings of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Route 59 and on different West Chicago roads.
ICE has also been reported in multiple suburbs surrounding Chicago in recent days, including Cicero, Joliet and Franklin Park. According to the Chicago Tribune, Monday’s activity unfolded amid a federal enforcement surge called “Operation Midway Blitz,” announced last week by the Department of Homeland Security.
The Chicago Tribune reported that at least 17 people were arrested Monday across the city and suburbs, though federal authorities did not release full details. Advocates and officials described a “patchwork” of reports that has made it difficult to assess the full scope.
The increased activity follows a fatal Sept. 12 shooting in Franklin Park, where a federal immigration officer shot and killed Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez during a traffic stop, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The case has intensified community concern and prompted Gov. JB Pritzker and other officials to call for more transparency.
“I think that it’s disgusting that they are targeting small cities and they’re going for a specific demographic,” Allison Montalvo, junior at West Chicago Community High School, said.
Some residents speculated that the timing of ICE’s presence may be linked to Mexican Independence Day parades over the weekend. Reports also circulated that an individual was removed from a car at the Main Park apartments on Main Street. Authorities have not released information about the individual or their whereabouts.
State Sen. Karina Villa (D-West Chicago) told the Chicago Tribune she saw ICE agents in the West Chicago Police Department parking lot early Monday and confronted them; she later said at a news conference that at least 15 people, including a minor, were detained, though that number was not confirmed by law enforcement.
NBC 5 reported that Sen. Villa posted a video Monday describing masked individuals she believed were ICE agents approaching residents; protesters also gathered outside a local food manufacturer, where the company said “ICE has not entered our facility.”
“I think it is crazy that it is so close and reaching us,” an anonymous junior at WCCHS, said. “I think the entire ICE operation is inhumane and heinous.”
In February, the City of West Chicago issued a statement titled “Statement on ICE Activities,” saying that city personnel follow the Illinois TRUST Act and do not assist ICE except when there is a federal or state warrant or an ongoing criminal investigation. They also explicitly affirmed they will not be involved with cases related to administrative deportation orders.
“We recognize there is a lot of concern and fear within our community. We want to remind everyone that the WCPD does not get involved with cases from the U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement,” officials for the City of West Chicago said.
Many residents have reposted and reblogged sightings of ICE on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram to keep others informed.
Schools responded as well. West Chicago Elementary District 33 told the Chicago Tribune it secured campuses Monday, continued instruction, and added staff at buses and bus stops; District 94 Superintendent Kurt Johansen also emailed high school families Monday morning.
“We are aware of the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in and around West Chicago. Our students arrived safely this morning and we will continue to monitor these events throughout the week. I want to assure you that we have safety protocols in place for events of this nature and will always keep the safety and well-being of our students at the forefront of everything we do,” Johansen wrote in an email to families.
Broader context: Advocates told the Associated Press that immigration enforcement activity has increased across the region in recent days, including more arrests tied to traffic stops and a heightened presence at courthouses, adding to community anxiety as federal operations continue.
