ICE Raid

On November 5, 2025, armed ICE officers chased teacher Diana Santillana Galeano ("Miss Diana") into Rayito de Sol preschool in Chicago and arrested her as parents and children looked on. Parents filmed from the drop-off line. Interior camera footage described as "some of the most chilling video footage" of the crackdown. The incident went viral and became a symbol of the abandonment of sensitive-location protections.

Chicago, IL

location

Target of Operations Safeguard and Midway Blitz (1,800+ arrests). Site of Silverio Villegas Gonzalez killing and Marimar Martinez shooting. Mayor Brandon Johnson created ICE-Free Zones. Journalists shot with pepper spray bullets and tear-gassed covering protests.

Customs and Border Protection

organization

Deployed thousands of agents to interior cities far beyond traditional border enforcement. CBP agents killed Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, shot Marimar Martinez in Chicago, and shot two people in a Portland hospital parking lot. Border troops tripled to ~7,600. A 170-mile border stretch was designated a "military installation," transferring California's border jurisdiction to the Navy.

Site of the largest workplace raid in DHS history — 475 arrested at Hyundai Metaplant on September 4, 2025. Mainly South Korean nationals. Sparked US-South Korea diplomatic dispute.

Chicago suburb where Silverio Villegas Gonzalez was shot and killed by ICE during a traffic stop on September 12, 2025, during Operation Midway Blitz.

Career Border Patrol official who served as commander-at-large from October 2025 to January 2026. Led Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis. After Alex Pretti's killing, Bovino falsely claimed Pretti planned to "massacre" agents — a claim the administration did not substantiate. Also lied under oath about threats from protesters (per a federal judge who extended a TRO against tear gas). Removed from command and replaced by Tom Homan.

Largest single-site worksite enforcement action in DHS history. ~475 workers arrested at Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant in Ellabell, Georgia. Multi-agency: ICE, FBI, IRS, ATF, DEA, Georgia State Patrol. Majority detained were South Korean nationals (300+), plus Mexican, Japanese, Chinese, and Indonesian workers. Sparked diplomatic dispute between US and South Korea — images of handcuffed Korean workers caused outrage in Seoul.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

organization

Primary agency executing the mass deportation campaign. Under Todd Lyons and Tom Homan, ICE conducted operations across the country. At least 30 shootings by immigration agents since January 2025, resulting in at least 8 deaths. Arrests of people with no criminal record surged 2,450%. Detention population hit an all-time high of 66,000. ICE's public affairs division was transformed into an "influencer-style media machine" producing cinematic arrest footage for social media. ICE spent $300+ million on social media monitoring, facial recognition, and location tracking.

Jonathan Ross

person

Jonathan Ross, 43, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations deportation officer who fatally shot Renee Good on January 7, 2026. Deployed to Iraq with the Indiana National Guard (2004-2005) as a machine gunner. Joined U.S. Border Patrol in El Paso in 2007. ICE deportation officer in Minnesota since 2015. On June 17, 2025, was injured when dragged by a car during a traffic stop in Bloomington, MN.

Minneapolis, MN

location

Epicenter of the crisis. Operation Metro Surge deployed 2,000-3,000 agents. Two Americans killed (Good, Pretti), one Venezuelan shot (Sosa-Celis). Site of the first general strike in 80 years. 50,000+ marched in -20°F. Federal judge found ICE violated 96+ court orders since January 2026.

Site of Mayor Baraka's arrest at Delaney Hall ICE facility. Early target during Operation Safeguard. Maintained sanctuary policies despite federal pressure.

Launched December 1, 2025. Formally announced December 4. On January 6, 2026, DHS called it "the largest immigration enforcement operation ever carried out," deploying ~2,000 agents (later ~3,000 — more than Minneapolis and St. Paul police forces combined). Led by Gregory Bovino until his removal after the Pretti killing. DHS claimed 3,000+ arrests by January 19 and 4,000+ by February. Only ~5% of arrestees had violent crime records. Resulted in two American civilians killed (Good, Pretti), one Venezuelan shot (Sosa-Celis), the Minnesota general strike, and the National Shutdown.

Launched September 8, 2025, named in honor of Katie Abraham. Multi-agency surge in Illinois and Lake County, Indiana. Over 1,800 arrests reported by DHS. Hundreds of federal agents deployed with documented use of force. During this operation, Silverio Villegas Gonzalez was shot and killed by ICE, and U.S. citizen Marimar Martinez was shot 5 times by Border Patrol.

First major operation, originally planned for January 21, 2025, but delayed due to targeting leaks. Coordinated by ICE field agents out of Chicago, bypassing Biden-era leadership. Multi-city raids on January 23 hit Atlanta, Boston, Denver, Miami, NYC, Newark, Philadelphia, Seattle, and DC. 538 immigrants detained.

Silverio Villegas Gonzalez, 38, was shot and killed by ICE during a traffic stop in Franklin Park, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago) on September 12, 2025, during Operation Midway Blitz. DHS claimed he "seriously injured" an agent, but bodycam footage showed the agent describing injuries as "nothing major." The bullet traveled through the back of his neck.

Todd Lyons

person

Acting head of ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations since March 9, 2025. Authored a secret memorandum (May 12, 2025) instructing agents they may enter homes by force based solely on administrative warrants — leaked by DHS whistleblowers via Whistleblower Aid. Compared mass deportations to "Amazon trying to get your Prime delivery within 24 hours." A federal judge found he violated at least 96 court orders in Minnesota since January 1, 2026 alone. Ordered to appear in federal court by Chief Judge Schiltz, who accused ICE of failing to comply with "dozens of court orders."

Tom Homan

person

Appointed November 2024 as "border czar" overseeing all deportations. Pushed for 3,000 arrests/day. Oversaw CECOT deportation flights that defied a court order, claiming they were "above international waters." Dispatched to Minneapolis in January 2026 to take over operations after two Americans were killed. In February 2026, announced partial withdrawal of 700 agents from Minnesota.