Illinois Governor JB Pritzker reacted strongly to the incident, calling it unacceptable and “deeply troubling.” Pritzker told the Chicago Sun-Times that federal agents wrongly stopped and questioned a state employee working to improve Illinois’s roads and infrastructure.
Governor JB Pritzker Condemns Targeting of Indian-Origin Worker
Our state employees should be able to go to work and do their jobs without masked agents targeting them for no legitimate reason.”
The governor’s office later confirmed that three ICE agents—wearing masks and unmarked tactical gear—questioned the Indian-origin worker for several minutes before leaving the scene. Pritzker emphasized that the Illinois government will not tolerate federal agents harassing its workers or citizens based on ethnicity or appearance.
USCIS reveals 275 cases of suspected immigration fraud in Minnesota operation
Pritzker also accused the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its leadership of promoting what he called “identity-based targeting.” He said this latest incident reflected a disturbing pattern since the start of President Donald Trump’s new term in office.
Since Trump returned to the Oval Office earlier this year, the Department of Homeland Security, now led by Secretary Kristi Noem, has increased ICE activity nationwide. These actions include raids, arrests, and immigration checks, which the administration says are part of efforts to “restore law and order.” However, critics argue that many of these actions unfairly target immigrants and people from marginalized ethnic and cultural backgrounds, including Indian-origin workers and other communities who are legal residents or citizens.
Raids Spread Across Chicago as Mamdani Criticizes ICE
The Park Ridge incident involving the Indian-origin worker is not isolated. Reports say similar immigration enforcement actions have occurred across Chicago recently. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, ICE and Border Patrol teams carried out surprise operations in immigrant-heavy neighborhoods.
On Thursday, Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino reportedly led a caravan through Chicago’s Southwest Side, stopping to question residents about their immigration status. Earlier in the week, ICE agents allegedly entered a North Centre daycare without a warrant, arresting a teacher and searching the facility.
These events have fueled fear among immigrant communities in Illinois and across the U.S. Civil rights groups accuse the Trump administration of reviving aggressive immigration tactics from his earlier term.
New York City’s mayor-elect, Zohran Mamdani, an Indian-origin Muslim American, has been a vocal critic of ICE. During his campaign, he vowed to block deportation raids in the city, saying Trump’s agents would have to “get through him” to do so. Some analysts believe this stance may have prompted federal scrutiny of individuals linked to him, including the Indian-origin worker questioned in Illinois.
ICE has not commented on the case, but the agency faces criticism over recent enforcement actions. Federal judges have already restricted DHS’s use-of-force policies at the Broadview Detention Center. The Indian-origin worker has returned to his job and is cooperating with Illinois officials reviewing the incident. Gov. JB Pritzker said that state authorities must protect state employees, including Indian-origin workers, from racial profiling and harassment.