In recent weeks, Chicago has become the epicenter of a disturbing series of encounters involving federal immigration enforcement agents and U.S. citizens, raising concerns about racial profiling, civil rights, and the accountability of federal authorities. Three separate incidents—each involving American citizens of color—have sparked outrage, legal action, and calls for greater transparency from both local and federal officials.
On a chilly evening earlier this October, Maria Greeley, a 44-year-old Latina woman born and raised in Illinois, was wrapping up a double shift at Beach Bar in Chicago. As she made her way home, she was suddenly surrounded by three masked agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). According to The Chicago Tribune, Greeley was zip-tied and interrogated for nearly an hour, accused of being an undocumented immigrant simply because she did not “look like” her last name, Greeley. Despite having her U.S. passport and other identification on her, the agents repeatedly told her, “This isn’t real, they kept telling me I’m lying, I’m a liar,” Greeley recounted. “I told them to look in the rest of my wallet, I have my credit cards, my insurance.” Eventually, she was released, but the ordeal left her shaken and angry.
This incident, unfortunately, is not isolated. Just a few days later, another U.S. citizen, Debbie Brockman—a creative services employee at WGN-TV—found herself violently detained by Border Patrol agents on Chicago’s North Side. As she walked to her bus stop during her morning commute on October 10, Brockman was approached, taken to the ground, handcuffed, and, in a humiliating turn, had her pants pulled down, exposing her bare buttocks. She was held in federal custody for approximately seven hours before being released without charges, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney in Chicago confirmed.
Brockman’s attorneys at the People’s Law Office released a statement on her behalf, adamantly denying any allegations that she assaulted anyone. “Ms. Brockman and her legal team adamantly deny any allegation that she assaulted anyone. Rather, Ms. Brockman was the one who was violently assaulted by federal agents on her way to work. Ms. Brockman feared for her life multiple times throughout this terrifying experience,” the statement read. Attorney Brad Thomson went further, saying, “This incident should be alarming and horrifying to every single person in this country. If armed, masked, federal agents are snatching U.S. citizens off the street as they walk to work and throwing them in unmarked vehicles, you can only imagine what these agents must be willing to do to our immigrant neighbors and people who dare to speak out against them.”
Federal authorities, however, offered a different account. Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), claimed that Brockman was arrested for assaulting a federal officer amid a chaotic situation where agents’ vehicles were blocked by “violent agitators.” McLaughlin alleged, “Deborah Brockman, a U.S. citizen, threw objects at Border Patrol’s car.” Brockman’s legal team disputes this, insisting she was simply walking to the bus stop and did nothing to provoke the violent response.
In the midst of these controversies, another alarming event unfolded in Hoffman Estates, a suburb northwest of Chicago. On the same Friday as Brockman’s detention, 18-year-old Evelyn, along with two friends, was detained for hours by what appeared to be federal agents. The teens had gone to warn neighbors about an ICE presence in the area and recorded the officers, which led to a violent arrest. Video footage shows Evelyn being pulled from a car, thrown to the ground, handcuffed, and pinned with a knee on her back, all while she repeatedly said she was not resisting arrest. “They were telling them they were U.S. citizens, and they didn’t care. It was very scary to see that video,” Evelyn’s mother, Jazmin, told CBS News Chicago.
Evelyn and her friends were taken to the Hoffman Estates Police Department parking lot and held for hours before being released without charges. Her parents, Gerardo and Jazmin, expressed deep frustration and fear, recounting how officers refused to provide information about their daughter’s status or potential charges. “Isn’t the government supposed to protect and serve?” Gerardo asked. “Isn’t the law officers are supposed to protect and serve? Why would we lie about this?” The family has since stated their intention to pursue legal action.
The confusion over which agency was responsible only deepened when Tricia McLaughlin, the DHS Assistant Secretary, responded to the incident on social media, claiming the video was actually from a burglary arrest by Chicago police over a year ago and not related to ICE. Nevertheless, Hoffman Estates police confirmed that ICE was indeed in the area on October 10 and that the only interaction with ICE was when they came to file a report at the police department.
These incidents come on the heels of a significant legal development: just last month, the Supreme Court lifted an injunction that had previously blocked federal agents in Los Angeles from stopping and interrogating people based on race or ethnicity. According to The Chicago Tribune, this legal change has emboldened federal agents across the country, including Chicago, to rely on racial profiling as part of their enforcement protocols—a trend now codified in law. Advocates warn that, unless checked, there will only be more cases like those of Maria Greeley, Debbie Brockman, and Evelyn.
Political leaders have begun to speak out. On October 13, U.S. Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi and former Representative Luis Gutiérrez visited the ICE facility in Broadview, Illinois, calling for transparency and accountability. Krishnamoorthi criticized the DHS official’s dismissal of the Hoffman Estates incident as misinformation, declaring, “This has got to end. ICE is acting out of control at this point, and they need to be held accountable. They need to be held accountable to their citizenry, who don’t appreciate what’s going on at all.” He also noted that he was denied entry to the ICE facility, despite his belief that, under the Appropriations Law, he should be allowed to inspect the facility without notice if people were being detained inside.
For their part, WGN confirmed that Brockman is a creative services employee, not a journalist, and that she was not on duty at the time of her detention. “We continue gathering facts related to this situation. Out of respect for her privacy, we have no further comment,” the station said in a statement.
The fallout from these events continues to ripple through Chicago and beyond. Civil rights advocates, legal experts, and local families are demanding answers and accountability, fearful that the normalization of such aggressive tactics against U.S. citizens—especially people of color—signals a troubling shift in federal law enforcement priorities. As legal battles loom and investigations unfold, the city watches closely, wondering who will be next and whether anyone will step in to stop it.
For now, the stories of Maria Greeley, Debbie Brockman, and Evelyn stand as stark reminders of the human cost when law enforcement oversteps its bounds and the urgent need for oversight in a rapidly changing legal landscape.
