Last week, the Sun-Times and the r/chicago subreddit came together to hold an AMA, or Ask Me Anything, on federal immigration enforcement in Chicago and the suburbs. National politics reporter Tina Sfondeles, federal courts reporter Jon Seidel and news reporter Cindy Hernandez answered a wide variety of questions for readers who wanted to know more about these stories and how we have covered them.
Below is a selection of questions and answers from that AMA. Some of the questions have been lightly edited for clarity. Thank you to everyone who participated and asked questions, and another thanks to the mods at r/chicago for helping to organize the event.
What’s the biggest thing you’ve uncovered about these enforcement operations that the public doesn’t know, but absolutely should?
Tina here: I think the biggest thing we learned is that official accounts/social media messages from the Trump administration are not the final word on what really happened. That sounds obvious, but in this most recent immigration enforcement in Chicago we have seen several direct contradictions of what DHS told us and what really happened — like Border Patrol chief Gregory Bovino lying about a rock-throwing incident to justify deploying tear gas against protesters.
It is something that we are trained to do, but it comes down to a matter of doing our best to verify the facts of what really happened, with live witnesses, to counter any government narratives that are likely political in nature.
As journalists reporting in a time of significant social and political unrest, I can see how the role itself gets called into question, pulled back and forth — by “all sides.” There’s a lot of pressure and journalists can’t serve all roles for all people. Rather than saying more, I guess I’ll stop there to ask: how do you as journalists consider and define your role in this particular moment, considering the duress coming from the Executive branch, and the very urgent demands of the public?
What have you learned about what it means to be a journalist now, considering the pressures you are under? What are your thoughts at this moment in history?
Jon here: Personally, I’ve found myself leaning into my past experience covering the federal courthouse. I’ve worked in the building since 2015, and I’ve had a long time to develop my own compass. It’s something I always rely upon, but that’s especially true these last few months.
My goal for coverage, whether on social media or in my writing, is to be fair, honest and accurate about what happened. That doesn’t mean both-sidesing everything. If one side has a bad day in court, then that’s what happened. It certainly happened often for the federal government this fall. But the tables have also turned a bit in the appeals court.
I do feel the pressure. But at the end of the day, I have to follow that compass.
You mentioned history. It’s a word I think about often. It’s not lost on me that our reporting may be relied upon in the future — perhaps long after we’re gone — when people study this moment. That’s another reason, no matter what pressure we face, to make sure we’re delivering the best, most accurate reporting we can.
Were you guys ever afraid of being detained by ICE? If so, did you have a plan on what to do if that manifested?
Cindy here: While there’s always some level of risk when covering protests, we took precautions by keeping our press credentials visible at all times. Although several Chicago Sun-Times reporters and photographers were exposed to chemical agents, none of us were arrested. Had that happened, we were prepared with contact information for attorneys and members of our leadership team.
Steve Held, an independent journalist was arrested during a September protest in Broadview. I didn’t see his arrest but his colleague, Raven Geary, told the Sun-Times he wasn’t shocked because he thought journalists were being targeted by federal immigration agents. It was frustrating to see a journalist face arrest for doing the same work we were all there to do.
Tina here: One of our colleagues, Mohammad Samra, was both shot at by a rubber pellet and exposed to tear gas on the same day while reporting outside Broadview. An editor told him he could leave if he felt unsafe or if he was hurt, but he refused and wanted to finish his shift. He told me that he felt it was his duty to witness and report what was happening. To this day, he has a permanent scar on his right arm from the pellet.
Is there any collaboration between you guys and reporters from other cities like Portland about best practices or what to expect from ICE? Also what are favorite spots we should support the most right now?
Jon here: I’m not sure about Portland. But when U.S. Border Patrol Cmdr. Greg Bovino and his crew moved on to Charlotte, our newsroom passed along as much wisdom as we could to journalists there. We offered tips about reporting in the field (write your editor’s phone number on your arm), tactics to watch for from federal agents (are they wearing body cams?), and how the community might respond (whistles!).
How much of what you report on relies on community initiatives, rumors and informal networks playing a role in shaping advocacy, and how do you verify these stories and handle them responsibly?
Tina here: I would say we use community tips and informal networks as a tipsheet, but we verify things ourselves. If a Logan Square Facebook page tells us about a potential ICE raid, we show up. Our photojournalists have at many times during this immigration enforcement been the first on the scene, and they often documented what was happening before our reporters arrived. We always try to verify for ourselves what is really happening on the ground.
We are also in touch with many immigrant advocacy groups, who have represented many people who were detained.
On the ground versus in the courts, have you personally noticed inconsistencies in filings and what are some of the biggest gaps or contradictions that may appear consistently?
Jon here: Truly the biggest gap has been the portrait painted of events on the ground by the Trump administration, versus those in opposition. Trump administration lawyers have argued their agents were under constant siege by violent resisters. But opponents repeatedly undermined their claims. One example is when a Border Patrol agent testified about “shields” carried by protesters, supposedly made of plywood with nails sticking out of them. U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis concluded at least some of the “shields” were made of cardboard. Either way, agents threw them out, so we’ll never really know.
U.S. District Judge April Perry made note of this disconnect early on, when she ruled against deployment of the National Guard. Ellis did too, using Carl Sandburg’s “Chicago” poem to really drive it home.
But it’s continued all the way up to the Supreme Court. Your question made me think of an argument by Solicitor General John Sauer, a little more than a week after a grand jury refused to indict a couple who had been charged with assault. The case got quite a bit of attention because they were also carrying loaded pistols — lawfully — outside the ICE Broadview facility.
Sauer told the Supreme Court that, in this political climate, “a grand jury’s decision not to indict a person accused of assaulting a federal officer is hardly proof that the assault did not occur.”
When you are out reporting, what kinds of stories or impacts do you feel get overlooked, such as how raids affect kids, people with disabilities, or even workers caught up in labor disputes?
Tina here: My AMA colleague/work bestie Jon Seidel and I both reported from the federal courtroom where Judge Sara Ellis admonished Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino for an operation in which tear gas was deployed as children were heading to a Halloween parade. I think the impact of trauma/witnessing such events is something that will be followed up on in the future. There are numerous DHS guidelines for deploying tear gas, including warnings and having medical supplies nearby.
One of our colleagues, Vanessa Lopez, wrote a touching op-ed about her father being deported last year and what that experience has been like for both her and her father. Lopez wrote that he lost vision in one eye and most of the vision in his other eye as he sat in a detention facility in Texas for six months because he wasn’t getting adequate medical care. “Deportation has taken away the father I once knew and given me back a person I no longer recognize. For those of us left behind, we bear witness helplessly, watching our loved ones disappear slowly — out of this country, out of our lives and out of the personalities that made us smile,” she wrote.
I think stories like this will be so important in the coming months/years to show the impact of the most recent immigration enforcements.
ICE/DHS/BPD lie constantly. Fact. So why do you print their quotes in your articles without putting a disclaimer to this fact?
Feels awfully suspect that you use “allegedly” frequently with regards to their actions, but the court of law has proven them to be liars. Unclear as to why you still allow bad-faith actors to put propaganda directly into your articles?
Jon here: I can’t think of a day that went by during Operation Midway Blitz that our newsroom didn’t discuss false statements from federal authorities, and how to handle them. Rather than make an accusation — that the feds were lying — we sought to prove the falsehood with facts. Not only does that make our journalism harder to dispute, it gives more information to our readers.
Your question made me think of this story. I wrote it the day U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis ordered Bovino into her courtroom. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin made claims about events in Little Village, in an attempt to justify Bovino’s use of tear gas there.
But my AMA partner Cindy Hernandez was in Little Village the day the tear gas was thrown. She told me what she witnessed personally, and we used her reporting to counter McLaughlin’s statement. By the way, Judge Ellis wound up declaring that Bovino lied about that very moment — but she wouldn’t do so for another two weeks.
Bovino and Border Patrol have left Chicago, I believe. But ICE agents remain in Chicago, correct? Are they continuing with raids and detentions? Any idea how many ICE agents are in Chicago? Also, what’s the situation at Broadview now?
Jon here: Correct. ICE has always been here, and I expect raids will continue. Even before Midway Blitz, immigration-related cases were on the rise in federal court. We don’t have exact numbers of agents, but we were told 100 would be left behind to continue the work. As for Broadview, it sounds like the population has dwindled significantly.
But my AMA partner Tina Sfondeles reported last week on a visit there by U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood. The congresswoman called conditions inside the facility “terrible” — and she warned that staffing is expected to triple by January in local facilities in anticipation of more immigration enforcement.
What have you learned about how local law enforcement (CPD, and other suburbs police departments) interact with ICE? Can you give a percentage on how police officers think of ICE, like indifferent or hostile?
Jon here: To answer your first question, I unfortunately don’t have percentages. But I’ve definitely picked up on a level of frustration among Chicago-based law enforcement toward the out-of-towners. I think there’s relief, even in law enforcement circles, that things have calmed down.
Your second question makes me think of the testimony of Claudia Carolina Pereira Guevara, during last month’s hearing over conditions inside the ICE Broadview facility. Guevara is the mother of a 5-year-old and a 10-month-old. She was arrested on her way to work Oct. 2 and taken to Broadview. Eventually, she signed deportation papers.
She said she did it because she thought it was her only way out of Broadview. But then, testifying remotely from Honduras, she began to cry because the children she left behind with her brother are “so young.” When asked when she might see them again, she said, “I don’t know.”
How does the Chicago Sun-Times build trust and report on the immigrant community? They seem to be pretty insular and under reported by local media.
Cindy here: I think like in any community, building trust starts by sharing people’s stories accurately and truthfully.
When reporting on immigration, we also take steps to protect our sources’ identities, especially if they face the risk of deportation or fear for their safety.
We do our best to protect their identities by sharing only the information they feel comfortable disclosing, including withholding their names or any photos that show their faces. While immigrants have always lived with the fear of persecution, I saw that fear skyrocket during “Operation Midway Blitz.”
Many were, and are still, afraid to leave their homes and leaned heavily on their communities for protection.
An example of how we tell stories while protecting a source’s identity here.
Heya, team. JB Pritzker has encouraged people to record ICE activity. The sheer amount of material has exploded. My question for you all is about guidelines and process: how do you obtain / utilize material that others recorded when creating your reports?
Cindy here: When Sun-Times reporters and photographers were in the presence of ICE or Border Patrol agents, we did a lot of recording on our cell phones. Many of our videos were shared on the organization’s Instagram TikTok and YouTube accounts.
These videos were super helpful in our reporting. Not only did they provide our readers with an accurate picture of what was happening on the ground, but it was also helpful to look back and check if we recorded something we may have missed with our eyes.
Aside from that, we also looked for videos shared on social media by people who witnessed arrests, the use of weapons, or any other use of force. If the user granted their permission, then we included their video in our reporting and credited the source whenever possible.
An example of this was when we got permission from a Facebook user who captured Greg Bovino tossing a tear gas canister into a crowd of people in Little Village after a federal judge filed a temporary restraining order preventing federal immigration officers from using chemical agents against people who didn’t pose an immediate threat.
Thank you to the following r/chicago users for providing their questions: Adventurous_Side2706, oOMASTAOo, CantStopPoppin, Beautiful_Program319, Worldly-Sock-4146, Significant-Try-5190, analytic-1, Upsilon-Andromedae, RYU_INU