MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chicago becomes epicenter of tension amid Trump’s “migration war”

Chicago is facing a wave of violence and repression following protests against the mass detention of migrants. U.S. President Donald Trump has authorized the deployment of 300 National Guard troops to the city, as the federal operation Midway Blitz has already led to more than 500 arrests since it began in September.

Protesters, journalists, and religious leaders have denounced the use of tear gas, pepper rounds, and stun grenades by federal forces. “They are turning Chicago into a war zone to justify the troop deployment,” warned Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, who, along with Mayor Brandon Johnson, filed a lawsuit against the federal government to stop the operation.

The most violent clashes took place outside the Broadview detention center, where videos shared on social media showed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents using excessive force. The Department of Homeland Security acknowledged that its agents shot a woman on Saturday, claiming they acted in self-defense after a group rammed into federal vehicles.

City Council member Jesse Fuentes reported being handcuffed after asking agents whether they had a warrant inside a local hospital. “I just asked to see a warrant. They pushed me, handcuffed me, and put me in a Border Patrol vehicle for no reason,” she said.

In response, Mayor Johnson announced the creation of “ICE-free zones,” where federal agents will not be allowed to operate without judicial authorization. Civil rights organizations, including the ACLU, and religious leaders filed lawsuits denouncing constitutional violations. “The federal government is undermining fundamental freedoms: freedom of speech, of the press, and the right to peaceful assembly,” said the American Civil Liberties Union.

Among the most striking testimonies was that of Pastor David Black, who said he was hit by chemical projectiles while praying in front of ICE agents. “Without warning, they shot me seven times. They were aiming for my head,” he recounted.

The conflict marks a new escalation in Trump’s domestic security policy, as he threatens to invoke the Insurrection Act to bypass court rulings that have already blocked the use of federal troops in other cities, including Portland and Washington D.C.