WLS: Judge orders release of hundreds arrested in Illinois immigration crackdown
US federal agents detain a man during an immigration raid in the East Side neighborhood of Chicago on October 27.
By Whitney Wild, Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN
(CNN) — A federal judge ordered the release of hundreds of people arrested as part of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Illinois, according to CNN affiliate WLS, dealing a blow to federal efforts to detain and deport as many undocumented people as possible.
US District Judge Jeffrey Cummings on Wednesday morning sided with attorneys from the National Immigration Justice Center and the ACLU. The plaintiffs alleged more than 3,000 people were arrested between June and October in “Operation Midway Blitz.”
Those who will be released must be granted bond by noon on November 21. The exact number released will depend on how many have not already voluntarily departed or been deported, according to CNN affiliate WLS.
“All of this, all of the tactics of (senior Border Patrol official Gregory) Bovino, all of the tactics of ICE have been unlawful in the vast, vast majority of arrests,” Mark Fleming, National Immigrant Justice Center attorney, said in a news conference Wednesday.
Fleming, who led the lawsuit alleging federal agents violated a 2022 settlement agreement over warrantless arrests in the Chicago area, said the organization believes at least 1,100 people arrested have voluntarily left the country, saying they “gave up” fighting their cases. Meanwhile, 615 people remain in custody nationwide, the attorney said.
Bovino, 55, emerged as the on-the-ground face of President Donald Trump’s effort to surge federal law enforcement into Democratic-led states and cities regardless of whether local officials want them there.
The decision comes as tensions remain high over racial profiling and constitutional rights – for both documented and undocumented individuals – as the Trump administration’s broad mass deportation crackdown targets people of all ages, from children and families to suspected criminals, by making arrests outside courtroom hearings, during traffic stops and in workplace sweeps.
One of those recently arrested was Diana Galeano, a teacher at Rayito de Sol daycare in Chicago. Video of her arrest, showing ICE officers running into the daycare’s front doors and pulling her out, sparked outrage among parents and local leaders.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
The-CNN-Wire
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