A major immigration operation last fall saw thousands of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers deployed across Chicago, conducting workplace raids, clashing with protesters and arresting more than 1,600 people. Some actions, witnesses say, were legally questionable, including a nighttime raid involving a Black Hawk helicopter that led to the detention of both immigrants and U.S. citizens.
Although the operation, dubbed “Midnight Blitz,” ended months ago and most agents have since left the city, its effects persist. Restaurants and cafes display “ICE out” signs and distribute leaflets advising what to do during an ICE encounter. Some immigrant-heavy neighborhoods report labor shortages, while immigration lawyers face an overwhelming demand for help.
“We work late into the night because we have so many calls and so many clients who are worried about what’s happening,” said attorney Ewa Brożek of the Chicago-based Kurczaba & Brożek Law. “Often we can’t help everyone. Beyond legal support, we end up acting as psychologists, because many people are simply living in fear.”
Polish community activists confirm heightened anxiety, even among those with legal status. “There’s nervousness among Poles,” one activist said. “Those here illegally are afraid, but there have also been cases of people with legal residency or even citizenship being detained.”
Brożek said none of her 10 Polish clients detained by ICE had criminal histories, contradicting the Trump administration’s claim that enforcement targets the “worst of the worst.” “At most, they had speeding tickets,” she said.
The pattern mirrors broader trends. According to a CBS analysis cited in the report, 60% of detained immigrants had no criminal record, while 14% were linked to violent crimes. Many Polish detainees had lived in the U.S. for decades, ran businesses and paid taxes, Brożek said, adding that some were identified through license-plate scans in parking lots.
Only two of the Polish cases she handled ended in deportation. Others were released after weeks in detention on bail and supervision, with a chance to legalize their status. “That probably cost taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars,” Brożek said.
Exact numbers of detained Poles are unclear. Poland’s Foreign Ministry said 130 Poles were forced to leave the U.S. in the last fiscal year, nearly twice as many as a year earlier, though it is unclear how many left through voluntary “self-deportation.” The U.S. offers USD 2,600 and airfare for such departures, but Brożek warned the program is misleading.
“Contrary to what the government claims, these people won’t be able to return, at least for the next 10 years,” she said. “It’s a kind of trap.”
Uncertainty has also spread among groups once considered protected, including so-called Dreamers who arrived as children. Legal disputes and policy shifts have left their status unclear, fueling further fear.
“There’s a lot of anxiety. You can’t be sure of anything,” said Paulina, who came to Chicago from northeastern Poland as a child. “Some people who celebrated Trump’s victory aren’t so enthusiastic anymore.”
While tensions have eased slightly since the fall, many expect renewed enforcement as early as March. “People are preparing,” Brożek said. “They’re arranging guardianship for their children and filing any application they’re eligible for. They’re worried the raids will return.”
(jh)
Source: PAP