A Chicago area immigrant rights group is alerting rideshare drivers covering O’Hare Airport on Saturday to be on the lookout for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
Unconfirmed reports indicated as many as four rideshare drivers have been arrested since early morning.
The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) posted a warning graphic that was reposted by a local rideshare organization. “Alert. ICE activity confirmed in ride share waiting area at O’Hare.”
ICIRR said it “received confirmed reports of ICE and other immigration enforcement agents targeting ride share drivers in the designated waiting lots at O’Hare Airport, please take precautions when driving to these areas over the coming days.”
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson posted on Wednesday that “The harassment and intimidation of rideshare drivers by federal agents at O’Hare is unacceptable and violates the values of our sanctuary city. Chicago’s message is clear: everyone living here deserves safety, dignity, and respect.”
The Illinois Drivers Alliance posted a week ago that ICE enforcement against rideshare drivers had begun at the airport. “Earlier today, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents conducted a raid in an O’Hare Airport parking lot where rideshare drivers wait between trips to pick up travelers.”
The rideshare group defended its member drivers, saying, “These drivers are essential workers who keep our city accessible, ensuring travelers can get from point A to point B safely every single day.”
ICE enforcement in the Chicago metro area has been the source of ongoing protests, especially at an ICE detention site in the West Side suburb of Broadview, about 10 miles west of downtown Chicago.
The Trump administration on Friday asked the Supreme Court to permit the deployment of National Guard troops in the Chicago area, escalating a dispute between President Donald Trump and Democratic governors over the use of the military within the United States.
The emergency appeal followed a judge’s ruling that temporarily blocked, for at least two weeks, the deployment of Guard members from Illinois and Texas to assist with immigration enforcement. A federal appeals court declined to lift that order.
Since Trump took office in January, the Supreme Court, which holds a conservative majority, has frequently ruled in his favor on emergency appeals, including cases involving military policy, federal spending, immigration, and executive authority.
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