Immigration

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement released little information about the people who were detained or why they were sought. Nationwide, officials said 956 arrests were made Sunday.

A spokesperson for Immigration and Customs Enforcement said a range of federal agencies conducted “enhanced targeted operations” in Chicago on Sunday “to enforce U.S. immigration law and preserve public safety.”

A false report from a local conservative talk radio station prompted the McLean County sheriff to issue a statement Saturday about immigration enforcement as President Trump’s second term begins.

New Republican state Rep. Regan Deering, who represents parts of Bloomington and eastern McLean County, started her first session last week.

Activists monitoring for immigration arrests said they had seen no activity, but the threat of deportations continues and the local community should remain alert.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen, who represents parts of Bloomington-Normal, is set to begin his second term in Washington. The second term is likely to look much different under the incoming Trump administration.

Gov. JB Pritzker said he’ll continue to protect the state’s documented immigrants, migrants and immigrants lacking legal status against the pending deportation plan. “I believe it’s my obligation to protect them too. Those are residents of the state of Illinois.”

Tom Homan made his remarks at a Northwest Side GOP holiday party. He also warned Mayor Brandon Johnson about the deportation plan, saying, “If he doesn’t want to help, get the hell out of the way.”

The Immigration Project's fall luncheon was framed around Tuesday's election results. Demian Kogan of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights was the keynote speaker.

A message of sadness and resistance was echoed by more than a dozen Democratic state lawmakers who voted to keep Illinois one of the most welcoming states for immigrants.