Hundreds of demonstrators protesting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity and federal troop deployment in Chicago gathered in the downtown area, shutting down portions of multiple streets at the height of evening rush hour.
Several groups, including the Coalition Against the Trump Agenda (CATA) and Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, took part in an “emergency protest,” where throngs of protesters gathered at Wacker Drive and Michigan Avenue.
Westbound Wacker Drive was shut down between Michigan and Steston avenues, where the demonstration began before proceeding northbound on Michigan.
Protest organizers, writing in a news release, said President Donald Trump is “out of control” but “Chicago is united in resistance, and we will defend our neighbors every single minute of every single day.”
While other protests have occurred within the city, demonstrations have mainly been focused at an ICE processing center in suburban Broadview, leading to clashes between protesters and agents in which chemical agents have been deployed to disperse crowds.
A coordinated immigration enforcement effort called “Operation Midway Blitz” has taken place across the Chicago area in recent weeks. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said at least 1,500 people have been taken into custody as part of the operation. The government has not provided corroborating data on that number.
