A Chicago man who is a legal resident of the U.S. was issued a $130 ticket by ICE agents for not having his immigration papers on him, according to a report by the Tribune.
Rueben Antonio Cruz, a 60-year-old originally from El Salvador with legal residency, was stopped by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents while sitting with a friend in Rogers Park on Thursday.
Detained and Fined
Cruz told the Tribune that the agents approached him and his friend, demanding to see their papers. “I said I do but I don’t have them on me,” Cruz recalled in Spanish.
Agents stood Cruz up, put him in their truck, and questioned him extensively before eventually verifying his legal status. He was then released, but not before being given a $130 fine for violating a federal law that requires registered foreign nationals to carry proof of registration at all times.
“It’s not fair because I said, let’s go to my house and I’ll show you my papers. I’m a resident,” Cruz said. His friend, who did not have legal status, was taken away by the agents.
Escalating Crackdown
Legal experts note that while the federal law has existed for years, it was rarely enforced before the second Trump administration. This ticketing is part of the ongoing “Operation Midway Blitz” in Chicago and its suburbs, where agents are using broad federal authority.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on October 1st that 800 arrests have been made in the area since the mission began in early September.
Critics condemn the new enforcement tactics. The Immigrant Legal Resource Center called the ticketing a “hateful tactic” meant to “cause panic and fear.” Ed Yohnka of the ACLU of Illinois stated, “Ticketing a lawful permanent resident… is unnecessary and cruel. It is simply part of the Trump administration’s attempt to make life uncomfortable for all immigrants.”
The crackdown is causing widespread fear, with even U.S. citizens claiming they have been wrongfully detained and questioned for proof of citizenship.
