Chicago's "Zone Defense": How Neighborhoods are Fighting ICE Raids Block-by-Block

Chicago’s close-knit neighborhoods are mobilizing a block-by-block "zone defense" against a large-scale federal immigration crackdown, responding to raids with loud protests and sophisticated tracking networks.

The city, a focal point of President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement, has seen residents turn to a hyperlocal warning system. This effort has led to heated street-level confrontations, with residents using whistles and noise to disrupt arrests, and agents responding with tear gas.

"We are not a violent city. This is not a war zone," said Courtney Conway, a 42-year-old resident. "We want them to stop kidnapping our neighbors."

Since the crackdown began in September, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reports over 3,000 people have been detained in the Chicago area.

In response, tens of thousands of residents have joined social media groups and encrypted chats to crowdsource the real-time locations of ICE and CBP agents. They track the makes, models, and license plates of unmarked rental cars, trail them with honking horns, and alert entire neighborhoods.

This resistance has been on full display across the city:

• In Lakeview, an upscale neighborhood, agents in plain clothes recently chased and arrested a construction worker. Residents, alerted by whistles and text chains, ran out of their apartments to confront the agents, who deployed tear gas before leaving.

• In Little Village, a major Latino enclave, businesses and residents locked their doors as activists warned of approaching federal vehicles. Protesters at one point surrounded the agents' cars to prevent them from making arrests.

• In Bucktown, parents stood guard outside a local school after hearing agents were in the area, setting up an informal checkpoint to monitor cars.

These confrontations have escalated, with agents using tear gas in at least five neighborhoods. The clashes prompted a legal challenge, with U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis recently ordering federal agents to wear body cameras and issue at least two warnings before using tear gas on protesters.

The Department of Homeland Security, however, has defended its agents. "Our officers are highly trained and in the face of rioting, doxxing and physical attacks they have shown professionalism," said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. "They are not afraid of loud noises and whistles."

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