Multi-day raids

Chicago: Officials launch operations against migrants

Activists protest in Chicago against the measures planned by the new US President Donald Trump against migrants - the US authorities nevertheless carried out "targeted operations".

(Bild: APA/2025 Getty Images)

Officials from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have begun "targeted operations" against undocumented migrants in the Chicago metropolitan area around a week after President Donald Trump took office. 

They are being supported by law enforcement agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), ICE announced. The aim is to "enforce the immigration laws of the USA".

Authorities have been given additional powers
The aim is also to "ensure public safety and national security by keeping potentially dangerous criminal migrants out of our communities". The US broadcaster CNN wrote of a "blitz" in which several federal authorities were given additional powers to arrest undocumented immigrants in the US. The exact extent was initially unclear. However, the broadcaster reported that it was an operation lasting several days that would extend across the entire country.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced on Twitter that it would support the immigration authority's operations: 

Trump's right-wing populist administration had pushed ahead with the arrest and deportation of undocumented migrants in recent days. To date, however, the actions had fallen short of what the president and his people had pithily announced as an unprecedented program of mass deportations.

Dispute over deportations with Colombia
Meanwhile, Colombia's left-wing head of state Gustavo Petro has conceded in the dispute over deportation flights following the announcement of retaliatory measures by US President Donald Trump. Petro's office announced that the government would make the presidential plane available in order to "facilitate the humane return of Colombian nationals". Active talks are being held with the US government to reach agreements "that guarantee a minimum level of respect and humane treatment of the nationals during the deportation process", it added.

Previously, the government in Bogotá had banned the landing of two US military aircraft with Colombian migrants deported from the USA on board. President Petro justified his decision by saying that migrants are not criminals and should be treated with dignity. Colombia would accept its nationals "on civilian airplanes without treating them as criminals", Petro explained.

Trump responded immediately and announced punitive tariffs of 25 percent on all goods from Colombia that would be imported into the United States. The additional tariffs were to be raised to 50 percent within a week. In addition, Trump, who has been back in office for less than a week, said he had also ordered an entry ban and an immediate withdrawal of visas for Colombian government officials. "These measures are just the beginning," he threatened.

In this post, Petro had also declared that he would not allow deportation planes to land in Colombia: 

Shackled, nothing to drink, no going to the toilet
Petro had previously criticized the deportation practice. "A migrant is not a criminal and should be treated with the dignity that a human being deserves. That is why I had the US military aircraft transporting Colombian migrants sent back," Petro said on X. Petro also pointed out that there are 15,660 Americans in Colombia without proper immigration status. Colombia would accept its nationals "on civilian airplanes without treating them as criminals".

On Saturday, the Brazilian government criticized the treatment of Brazilians on a US deportation flight. According to the government, the 88 passengers were handcuffed for the entire flight.

This plane was used to deport illegal migrants from Brazil.

(Bild: APA/AFP)

The 31-year-old computer technician Edgar Da Silva Moura, who was on board the deportation flight, told the AFP news agency that the passengers were handcuffed hand and foot and were not allowed to drink or use the toilet. Several people had fainted. Television footage showed people leaving the plane with their hands and feet shackled.

Shortly after taking office, Trump declared a national emergency on the border with Mexico. "All illegal border crossings will be stopped," he said. In the meantime, many soldiers have been deployed to the southern border.