Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• ICE agents shoot and kill Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez during traffic stop in Franklin Park, Illinois — Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents initiated a traffic stop of Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez, a Mexican national and cook, in Franklin Park, Illinois on Friday. During the encounter near a school, agents shot and killed Villegas-Gonzalez. DHS claimed he resisted arrest and dragged an officer with his car; surveillance video shows him backing up and driving forward as agents pulled on his door. After the shooting, agents broke the car window and removed his body. Illinois lawmakers, including US Representative Delia Ramirez and Governor JB Pritzker, called for a full investigation, stating the incident exemplifies violence from Trump's deportation campaign.

Supporting reports

• ICE detains William Alberto Gimenez Gonzalez at barber shop during Operation Midway Blitz — ICE agents detained William Alberto Gimenez Gonzalez at a barber shop in Chicago on Friday as part of Operation Midway Blitz, an ICE enforcement campaign. The Latino Union of Chicago expressed concern that Gimenez may have been targeted for his involvement in a lawsuit against Home Depot and off-duty Chicago police officers over physical assaults and detention of recently arrived immigrants documented in a 2024 City Bureau investigation.

Supporting reports

• Immigration judge orders deportation of pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil — An immigration judge in Louisiana ordered the deportation of Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestinian protest leader and legal permanent resident, citing alleged misrepresentation of facts on his green card application. The judge found willful misrepresentation rather than oversight. Khalil's lawyers announced they would appeal and noted that a separate federal district court order prohibits his immediate removal while his civil rights case proceeds. Khalil characterized the order as retaliation for his exercise of free speech.

Supporting reports

• ICE enforcement surge and protests in Chicago area — ICE conducted a week-long surge of immigration enforcement operations across the Chicago area, including a day-long protest outside an ICE processing center in Broadview, Illinois on September 12. Demonstrators clashed with federal agents; reports indicate a protester was shot in the leg with a pepper ball. The operations are part of Trump's pledged immigration crackdown. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, both Democrats, have condemned the enforcement actions and called for resistance.

Supporting reports

• Irish citizen held in ICE detention despite valid work permit; conditions described as torture — Seamus Culleton, an Irish national with a valid work permit and no criminal record, has been held by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement in El Paso, Texas for five months following his arrest on 9 September 2025. Despite obtaining a statutory exemption allowing him to work after marrying a US citizen and applying for lawful permanent residence, Culleton remains detained and unable to attend his October green card interview. He reports severe conditions including overcrowding (71 detainees in one room), inadequate food, filthy facilities, and staff-related safety concerns. His lawyer states US authorities are threatening deportation "any day."
• Irish man detained by ICE for five months despite valid work permit and US citizen spouse — Seamus Culleton, an Irish national with a valid work permit and married to a US citizen, was arrested by ICE agents on September 9, 2025, outside a Home Depot in Massachusetts and has been held in ICE detention facilities for five months under conditions he describes as torture-like. Despite having obtained a statutory exemption allowing him to work while his application for lawful permanent residence is pending, he remains in custody and faces potential removal. His wife, a US citizen, and his attorney are calling for his immediate release to allow him to complete his status adjustment process.
• Irish national held in ICE detention despite valid work permit and pending green card application — Seamus Culleton, an Irish national with a valid work permit tied to a pending green card application, was arrested by ICE on September 9, 2025, during a random immigration sweep at a hardware store in Massachusetts. Despite being married to a US citizen, having no criminal record, and possessing documentation of lawful work authorization, Culleton was detained for five months across multiple facilities, ultimately transferred to El Paso, Texas. A judge approved his release on bond in November, but ICE continued detaining him. ICE agents later claimed Culleton had signed deportation documents, which he disputes; a federal judge noted irregularities in ICE's court filings but sided with the agency.

Supporting reports

• ICE agents withdrew from job site in Rochester after community mobilization — On September 9, 2025, ICE agents attempted to detain three roofers at a job site on Westminster Road in Rochester. One worker was arrested; two others remained on the roof. Within an hour, hundreds of protesters, including lawmakers and clergy, gathered at the site. Faced with slashed tires and a swelling crowd, the agents withdrew and left the remaining workers behind.

Supporting reports

• ICE resumes immigration sweeps in Los Angeles following court ruling — Following the Supreme Court's reversal of the restraining order, ICE resumed large-scale immigration enforcement operations in Los Angeles on September 8. Greg Bovino, head of U.S. Border Patrol in Los Angeles, announced via social media that operations were "starting back up" and that agents were "going hard in Los Angeles today." The Department of Homeland Security declared the decision a victory and vowed to "flood the zone" in the city, accusing Mayor Karen Bass of "protecting" immigrants.
• Attorney General Pam Bondi celebrated Supreme Court racial profiling decision — Attorney General Pam Bondi characterized the Supreme Court's decision permitting racial profiling in immigration detentions as "another massive victory" and stated that ICE can now continue roving patrols in California "without judicial micromanagement."
• ICE detained Donna Hughes-Brown, lawful permanent resident, for 37-year-old probation — Donna Hughes-Brown, a lawful permanent resident of 37 years, was detained by ICE and separated from her four children and five grandchildren. Her detention was based on a bad check for $25 written in 2015, for which she had already paid restitution and received probation. Under Trump administration policy, this prior conviction classified her as a "criminal illegal alien" eligible for deportation.
• Navy veteran James Brown expressed regret for voting for Trump after wife's ICE detention — U.S. Navy veteran James Brown told Newsweek he "100%" regrets voting for Trump after his wife was taken into ICE detention. Brown stated that Trump had advertised he would deport criminal illegal immigrants, but that the administration is not being truthful about what is actually happening to legal immigrants.

Supporting reports

• Chicago mayor opposes militarized immigration enforcement — Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson released a statement opposing the Trump administration's announced immigration enforcement operation, stating the city received no advance notice of enhanced ICE action. Johnson cited ICE's documented track record of detaining and deporting U.S. citizens and violating detainees' human rights as grounds for opposing militarized enforcement without due process protections.
• Chicago mayor reports lack of federal notice for ICE enforcement operations — Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson posted on X that the city received no advance notice of enhanced immigration enforcement operations by the Trump administration. Johnson stated the city remains opposed to militarized immigration enforcement without due process, citing ICE's documented history of detaining and deporting American citizens and violating detainees' human rights.

Supporting reports

• Evanston issues warning of imminent ICE operations — The city of Evanston, Illinois issued a public statement urging residents to report sightings of federal immigration agents after local officials were informed over the weekend that ICE activity was likely in the coming days. Mayor Daniel Biss stated he received information from the governor's office indicating ICE agents would be deployed to Evanston. The city reaffirmed its commitment to protecting immigrant and refugee residents.

Supporting reports

• ICE detained Donna Hughes-Brown, lawful permanent resident, for 37-year-old probation — Donna Hughes-Brown, a lawful permanent resident of 37 years, was detained by ICE and separated from her four children and five grandchildren. Her detention was based on a bad check for $25 written in 2015, for which she had already paid restitution and received probation. Under Trump administration policy, this prior conviction classified her as a "criminal illegal alien" eligible for deportation.

Supporting reports

• El Grito Chicago and related Mexican Independence Day events canceled due to federal enforcement threat — Organizers canceled El Grito Chicago, a major cultural festival that attracted 24,000 attendees in 2024, scheduled for September 13–14. The Mexican Independence Day parade and festival in Waukegan was postponed to November, and the Latin Heritage Fest in Wauconda was canceled. Event organizers cited safety concerns for the community in light of the federal immigration enforcement surge and Trump's hostile rhetoric toward Chicago's Mexican population. The cancellations represent a chilling effect on civic and cultural assembly by an ethnic minority community.
• El Grito Chicago festival postponed due to ICE enforcement concerns — The El Grito Chicago Mexican Independence Day festival, scheduled for mid-September, was postponed due to concerns about ICE operations and potential targeting of the event. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker expressed concern at a news conference that ICE agents would specifically target Mexican Independence Day celebrations.

Supporting reports

• El Grito Chicago and related Mexican Independence Day events canceled due to federal enforcement threat — Organizers canceled El Grito Chicago, a major cultural festival that attracted 24,000 attendees in 2024, scheduled for September 13–14. The Mexican Independence Day parade and festival in Waukegan was postponed to November, and the Latin Heritage Fest in Wauconda was canceled. Event organizers cited safety concerns for the community in light of the federal immigration enforcement surge and Trump's hostile rhetoric toward Chicago's Mexican population. The cancellations represent a chilling effect on civic and cultural assembly by an ethnic minority community.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration warned of deportation for asylum seeker Kilmar Abrego Garcia — In a court filing, the Trump administration warned that the government will seek to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia back to El Salvador if his attempt to open an asylum case in the US is successful, arguing the move would nullify an earlier ruling meant to prevent him from being sent back to his home country.