The Texas National Guard is leaving Illinois after sitting here for a month without being deployed, truly ironic since some of the immigrants are here because Texas shipped them here. DHS is closing its staging area for its subordinate agencies in the Chicago northern suburbs. Customs & Border Patrol and its nasty chief have moved on except for its regular presence at places such as airports and a few harbors on Lake Michigan. (When you think of inland CBP, it’s usually those bored people in booths checking passports and visas.)

However, this is far from over. The horrible ICE–Immigration & Customs Enforcement–detention center in suburban Broadview is open and remains the center of large protests and arrests by multiple agencies, often in violation of rights of speech and assembly. ICE has been here for a long time albeit without so many agents, and isn’t going anywhere, and while they may be marginally less awful than the enforcement division of CBP in normal times, this isn’t normal. They seem to have thrown training and decency out of their playbook, grabbing people, even with “papers”, some violently, based on appearance, forcing them to abandon jobs and leave kids, pets and cars on the street. State and local LEOs are breaking our sanctuary law and ordinances. The federal Administration is spreading its nonsense about crimes and gangs, but the lies are being called out and their response, while aggressive, shows them as bullies who are on the defensive.

The pressure is still on, and it is working. I am very grateful to everyone who is physically able to protest and monitor and reach out to victim families at risk their own safety.