Federal agents conduct overnight ‘targeted immigration’ operation in South Shore

Armed federal agents in camouflage and masks were spotted carrying out an immigration enforcement operation in the South Shore neighborhood early Tuesday.

The federal agents’ appearance came hours after Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said the Trump administration had called for 100 military personnel to head to the state.

Video taken near 75th Street and South Shore Drive shows federal agents in large vehicle gathered on the street near a building. Some wore U.S. Border Patrol uniforms. Others were tagged FBI.

A spokesperson for Chicago’s FBI field office confirmed the bureau was present to support a “targeted immigration enforcement operation” carried out by the U.S. Border Patrol.

“The FBI, alongside other Department of Justice law enforcement partners, have been supporting these efforts at the direction of the Attorney General,” the spokesperson said in an email.

A neighbor told ABC7 Chicago that he saw two people detained. A spokesperson for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which oversees the Border Patrol, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Last weekend, armed Border Patrol agents patrolled downtown Chicago, including on Michigan Avenue.

Agents joined U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations after U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced more federal personnel would be sent to ICE facilities nationwide, citing violence against officers.

Armed agents were also observed outside the federal ICE processing center in Broadview, where protesters and officers have clashed. The building at 1930 Beach St. is being used as part of the “Operation Midway Blitz” immigration enforcement campaign.