ICE in Chicago has dominated the headlines of major publications as of late. Let me fill you in on what it feels like to be a resident of this great city under military-like occupation.
As a nature and wildlife conservation fine art photographer, I never imagined my days would be spent looking for federal agents terrorizing my home city of Chicago. In September of 2025, ICE launched Operation Midway Blitz with the messaging on the Department of Homeland Security’s website with the headline ICE Launches Operation Midway Blitz in Honor of Katie Abraham to Target Criminal Illegal Aliens Terrorizing Americans in Sanctuary Illinois.
The problem is, they are not going after people “terrorizing” Americans. ICE agents are going after everyday community members strictly based on how they look. This is racial profiling at its core. It takes no consideration of whether a person is a United States citizen. They are specifically targeting Brown people in Chicago. We have many neighborhoods in our city that contain immigrants, but ICE is only attacking our latin community members.
Western Europe
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Lincoln Square (German)
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Bridgeport (Irish)
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Little Italy (Italian)
Eastern Europe
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Avondale (Polish)
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Marquette Park (Lithuanian)
Southern Europe
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Greektown (Greek)
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Little Italy (Italian) (also Southern Europe heritage overlap)
Asia
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Chinatown (Chinese)
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Devon Avenue / West Rogers Park (Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi)
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Argyle Street / Uptown (“Asia on Argyle”) (Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, Chinese)
Africa & Middle East
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Albany Park (Middle Eastern, African, Latino mix)
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South Shore (Nigerian, Ethiopian, Arab-American communities)
Long ago, back in my high school history class, I remember reading about the horrible treatment of African Americans, Indiginous People, Jews, Italians, Irish, Musilum, and Chineese during the 1800s and most of the 1900s. I know some of that still exists today, but I thought we had come a long way since then. Sadly, I was wrong. Now Lantin Americans are in the crosshairs.
ICE agents roam our streets looking for anyone who looks Hispanic to question them. They show no identification other than their full-body military camouflage combat gear. Their faces are covered, so we can’t identify them, or maybe they are just too embarrassed. Agents arrest mothers selling candy, ice cream vendors, restaurant workers, parents waiting outside schools to pick up their children, people going to court to follow the legal process, and US citizens who don’t have proper identification on them. Occasionally they get criminals. This is how they justify their actions.
Living under occupation takes its toll on your mental health. Every siren or helicopter that goes by makes you uneasy. You look down whatever street you are on to see if they are kidnapping someone or if it is just the police doing their job. I can’t even imagine what my indigenous or Latino friends and community members feel. But I am here for you and I will fight for you.
People gather, marching through the streets peacefully rotating through their chants of “Hey Hey Ho Ho Donald Trump has got to go,” and “No hate! No fear! Immigrants are welcome here!” We gather to defend our community and the people we have chosen to accept as Chicagoans. Chicago has always been a city of immigrants and a sanctuary for those seeking protection from the unjust. As early as the 1830’s Chicago acted as a hub for the Underground Railroad hiding escaped slaves from their masters.
ICE agents patrol Michigan Avenue on Sunday morning
ICE in Chicago Facebook Post
On Sunday September 28th at roughly 1pm I wrote this post on facebook that went on to reach 14,000,000 people gaining me over 15,000 new followers. I was apprehensive to speak out against what I had witnessed that morning for two reasons: One, I am a nature and wildlife conservation photographer and have built a politically neutral audience over years on facebook. I didn’t want to lose followers or my community. Two, I knew this was the kind of post that would bring out a lot of emotion from both sides. I would be setting myself up as a target for hate. Here is the post…
PLEASE READ! Today was one of the darkest days I can remember in a long time. It started out so peaceful. The sun warmed up the early autumn morning, touching this Chicago Sunday with the remnants of summer. We were part of a large group of people who joined Patagonia to do a river cleanup, volunteering our time to enjoy the outside and do something good for a city we love.
After dumping our many bags of plastic trash on shore, we saw 4 ICE “border patrol” boats heading down the river. I had my camera, so I was curious what they were up to. The river walk was full of tourists and families enjoying a picture-perfect Sunday, but tension was building.
As I approached Michigan Avenue, I could see armed soldiers crossing the bridge in front of T tower. My heart began to sink. Here we were, everyone enjoying a beautiful Sunday along the river, volunteering, spending time with family, couples holding hands, biking, and experiencing so much joy.
On top of the bridge, a very different scene was unfolding. Close to 100 ICE agents were terrorizing the public. People screaming for their loved ones to RUN! Mothers were being pulled by their hair as their babies were ripped out of their arms. Not criminals, but people selling candy. I will never forget the sound of the children screaming, crying, tormenting. I have never felt so ashamed or helpless in my life.
It took 100 armed soldiers with our tax dollars to terrorize Chicago on Sunday, September 28th. When I stopped and begged for answers, several of them said…”It’s the optics, look around, we have your attention.” All in the shadows of Trump’s tower along the Chicago River. Others without masks said, “We begged them not to do it on a Sunday, but they followed through with their orders. A bunch of us were out here the other day without our uniforms on, and man, this is a beautiful city you all have here. All I can say is sorry.”
90% of them are wearing masks, 50% of them are acting like tough guys, even some posing for photos in front of his building or down the Chicago river like tourists. I am sorry, you are not. You are a terrorist.
Do you want to do something for your country? Grab a paddle and join us along the river picking up trash. Sunday is a day of rest. Even the worst gangsters have an unwritten code that you don’t shoot on Sundays. Not ICE. They came out today and made every single American citizen in Chicago today feel unsafe and afraid. People were crying, shaking, and screaming just from what they were witnessing.
People will probably unfollow me because I am posting this. Call me woke or tell me to stay in my lane as a photographer. My hope is that you share this with everyone you can. I was trying to stay in my lane. I was volunteering doing a river cleanup with my camera when the United States military (actually not the military they follow the constitution) ICE decided to terrorize its own citizens today, when we were just trying to enjoy a peaceful Sunday with one another.
The last photo of the guy in the truck told me, “He is proud of the way he makes the cockroaches feel, f them, f all of you, the best part of my job is occupying democratic run cities, now go home or you’re next.”
I have been to all seven continents and in some of the most corrupt countries you can think of, and have never felt more threatened than I did in my own city today. I will not be complicit. This is not the America I grew up in, and neither did you. Speak Up.
Overall the response has been overwhelmingly positive and encouraging. To know so many people supporting Chicagoans for standing up to ICE really helped mentally. There is such a helpless feeling. My hope is if you can, please speak up. Photograph them and video them in action.
I have driven around on several occasions looking for them in latin neighborhoods. My hope is to document how unlawful and aggressively violent they are but they are really hard to find. Apps created to share information about their activities have been removed by the Department of Homeland Security. A no fly zone has been established over all of Chicago for drones.
A colleague of mine Mike Kelly, a photographer in Chicago, has been documenting the protest and aggression towards people exercising their first amendment rights outside the facility. He witnessed tear gas and pepper bullets being used on peacful protesters including a pastor shot in the face while preying.
“Scenes from this past weekend at the Broadview ICE Detention Center, where Illinois State Police clashed with protestors. Despite objections from state political leaders to ICE’s presence in Illinois, the State Police now appear to be working directly alongside ICE agents to patrol the detention center. Their presence has expanded to 24/7 coverage, with more than 100 officers deployed during planned demonstrations.
The escalation in police aggression reached a peak over the weekend when officers forced protestors out of the designated protest zones nearly half an hour before curfew. The abrupt order sparked a standoff, leading to protestors occupying nearby streets and a series of aggressive police advances that resulted in 15 arrests.” Mike Kelly Photography
To me, one of the hardest parts of keeping optimistic during these times in Chicago is half of our country supports ICE to use what ever tactics necessary to “remove illigal immigrants from our coutry” regadless of the individuals situation. I often combat the online comments with a brief history of the United States involvement in regime change in Latin America.
I combat their blind hate with questions like “Do we not have a responsibility to the people whose governments we have interfere with like, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, and Venizuela.” How can we have no consequences for our actions abroad?
The United States has to come up with a well though out immigration plan. Open boarders are not the answer but neither is aggressive military violence. There has to be a middle ground. No one wants violent criminals on our streets. We do though welcome people who are honestly trying to make a better life for themselves and their family. This is what America has stood for for so long. The American Dream.
Every single person in this country is the descendant of an immigrant who came to this country looking for a better life. Unless you are indigenous, you are occupying stolen land. Coming here legally looked very different long ago as I recently learned at Ellis Island. The whole process was much simpler when most of our families came to America where the requirements were minimal.
Today however, particularly under Trumps second administration requirements to be naturalized have become extensive. In some cases they can take over 25 years.
Another difficulty is to continually absorb is the hatful propaganda being sent to the general public in the United States. Just this week Kristi Noem urged airports across the nation to blame democrats for the government shutdown and accusing Democrat run cities to be violent and mob run. These basless accuiztions started as far back as 2020 but have intensified greatly today.
Response From Pro-ICE Voices
Here are some of the comments I have received on Facebook from people who clearly dont agree with me:
This is the type of propaganda that is getting these federal agents hurt and instilling in the left false narratives
What is wrong with you??? All over the United States illegal immigrants were given the choice to leave on their own (we would even pay them to leave) or risk being taken out by force. They broke the law. They are criminals. What is so hard to see about that????? I would love to walk into Sweden and live there but I can’t bc it’s illegal. EVERY COUNTRY HAS BORDERS. OURS IS NO DIFFERENT.
STOP PUSHING THESE LIES BEFORE YOU GET MORE PEOPLE HURT.
Your photos don’t support your narrative. Great reporting to get people riled up. I suggest you dive much deeper into your claims. Why waste peoples time without facts? Try some FOX news to help with your “diving deeper”experience. They support facts with videos, do not support creation of “facts”. Expose yourself to Charlie Kirk. Might help to give yourself a different point of view. If you don’t try, you won’t win at anything productive.
Derek, you can thank Biden/ Obama and the democrats as the reason for ICE being there. Catching and deporting criminals is not a 40 hour job with Sundays off . Gangsters don’t care what day of the week it is ! I’d venture to say your just being a tad over emotional . Get over it and keep picking up the trash. The place looks n like a ghetto from
the pictures I’ve seen
You are right! Not the America I grew up in either. These Democrats are ruining our great cities and creating a situation that must be addressed. This is why they are there; God bless them!
They should come here legally!! That is a crime!!
Fuck you and your liberal views if supposedly peaceful city wasn’t harboring illegals I.C.E. wouldn’t be there. You sure paint a pretty picture of a city that’s full of shootings, murders, and illegal gang activity. Your corrupt libtard government created this problem now I.C.E. has to clean it up, so no tears shed here, it’s time you pay for your sins. MAGA!!!!
As you can see, America has a long way to go before we come up with a real solution to our immigration process. My hope is we can tone down the anger, the vilification, the propaganda, and fear mongering and get back to being the country we used to identity as. The United States of America, The Free World, Land of Liberty, Land of the Free, Home of the Brave, and the Melting Pot.
Kind Words From Anti-ICE Voices
. I’m dreadfully worried for all my black and brown friends in Chicago. Is it time for us TO MOBILIZE IN WAYS WE CITIZENS HAVE NOT YET DONE? IS IT TIME TO do something? I dunno. 
there needs to be a massive action. A complete shift in leadership. One that involves ALL.OF US. ONE where WE the People ACT!
Immigrats In America
It is our immigrants who built this country. It is our immigrants that make America great. From 1836 to 1914, over 30 million Europeans migrated to the United States.
By far the biggest groups arriving in the early 20th century came from Southern and Eastern Europe many seeking economic opportunity and fleeing poverty, persecution, or political unrest. Sound familiar?
Key groups included:
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Italians – the single largest immigrant group during this era. Many came from southern Italy and Sicily to work in factories, railroads, and mines.
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Poles – large numbers arrived seeking industrial jobs in Chicago, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Milwaukee.
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Russians (including Russian Jews) – many fled persecution and pogroms in the Russian Empire; they settled heavily in New York and other urban centers.
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Greeks – escaping wars and poverty, they established strong communities in cities like Chicago, New York, and Boston.
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Hungarians, Slovaks, and Czechs – from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, many worked in manufacturing and mining.
In 1910, over 70% of all immigrants were from Southern and Eastern Europe.
Why Latin American Immigrants Come to the United States
1. Economic Opportunity (the biggest factor)
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Many Latin American immigrants come seeking better job prospects and higher wages.
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In countries where unemployment, inflation, or informal labor markets are high, U.S. jobs offer stability, even in low-wage sectors like construction, hospitality, and agriculture.
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Remittances money sent home are crucial to many families and national economies. For example, remittances make up around 25% of GDP in El Salvador and Honduras.
Pull factor: The U.S. economy consistently needs labor in industries that rely on immigrant workers.
2. Political Instability and Corruption
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In parts of Latin America, especially Venezuela, Nicaragua, Cuba, and Haiti, political repression, authoritarian regimes, and human rights violations push people to flee.
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Many seek asylum because they fear persecution based on politics, ethnicity, gender, or religion.
Push factor: When local governments fail to provide security, justice, or economic fairness, migration becomes a survival strategy.
3. Violence and Insecurity
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In Central America’s Northern Triangle (El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala), gang violence, extortion, and weak law enforcement have driven many families to flee.
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Organized crime, linked to drug trafficking routes, has made certain regions extremely unsafe.
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Some migrants are unaccompanied minors or families escaping direct threats.
Push factor: Safety and survival outweigh the risks of migration.
4. Climate Change and Environmental Stress
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Increasingly, climate change is a major driver. Droughts, hurricanes, and crop failures in rural areas (especially Central America and the Caribbean) devastate agriculture-based livelihoods.
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For example, severe droughts in the “Dry Corridor” of Central America have forced tens of thousands of farmers to abandon their land.
Push factor: Environmental migration is growing many come simply because they can no longer sustain life at home.
Latin American immigrants come to the U.S. for the same reasons that earlier waves of immigrants from Europe or Asia once did to find safety, stability, opportunity, and hope.
Ill leave you with a poem found at the base of the Statue of Liberty by Emma Lazarus
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
Hello! I'm Derek.
DEREK NIELSEN PHOTOGRAPHY RAISES AWARENESS ABOUT THE GLOBAL NEED FOR CONSERVATION THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHY AND DONATES UP TO 15% OF ALL SALES BACK TO ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS AROUND THE WORLD.