CHICAGO (AP) — During a recent door-to-door campaign on Chicago’s North Side, Democratic state legislator Hoan Huynh faced a harrowing encounter with federal agents. While informing businesses about increased immigration enforcement, he was alerted to the presence of federal vehicles and honked to warn others. Huynh said he was then confronted by masked federal officers who threatened him and a staffer with a gun while attempting to photograph their faces.
“We were non-violent,” Huynh recounted, emphasizing that he identified himself as a public official during the shocking incident. This confrontation highlights the rising tensions in Chicago, where federal immigration enforcement has intensified under the Trump administration, causing alarm and unrest among local leaders and the communities they serve.
With a significant number of Latino and immigrant residents, Chicago has seen elected officials reporting various forms of intimidation from federal agents, ranging from being pulled over to being handcuffed. Alderman Mike Rodriguez, who represents immigrant-rich neighborhoods, condemned these actions as attempts to instill fear among community members.
Recent operations have led to the detention of both U.S. citizens and immigrants, raising concerns about civil rights and due process. Rodriguez noted that at least eight individuals were taken into custody in significant immigrant neighborhoods, prompting outrage and activism against what many perceive as an aggressive crackdown.
The political fallout is palpable as Illinois approaches its March primary, where immigration policy has become a critical issue among candidates. State legislators are increasingly vocal against what they regard as intimidation and politically motivated enforcement practices, asserting that such tactics endanger the very communities they claim to protect.
Huynh, a refugee from Vietnam, expressed deep concern about the current climate, likening his family’s experience of fleeing persecution to the intimidation tactics used today. “We believed in the American ideal of due process. It is very concerning that we are living under this authoritarian regime,” he stated.
