Federal agents detained two men working on a property in Chicago's Edison Park neighbourhood on 31 October 2025, an incident captured in a photograph by Jamie Kelter Davis for Getty Images. This event forms part of a broader national pattern emerging under the Trump administration's heightened immigration enforcement measures.
Nationwide Reports of Targeted Communities
Across the United States, numerous people of colour, including US citizens and permanent residents, have come forward alleging they were racially profiled by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. Reports indicate individuals have been targeted based on their race, language, or simply their location.
In the Minneapolis area, where authorities have deployed approximately 2,000 ICE officers and 800 Customs and Border Protection agents, federal agents have focused recent operations on Latino and Somali communities. In one specific instance, ICE officers approached people of colour as they charged their electric vehicles, demanding documentation to prove their legal status in the US.
Legal Action and Altered Daily Lives
On 15 January, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other attorneys filed a class action lawsuit against the Trump administration. The suit alleges racial profiling and unlawful arrests, citing the cases of three Minnesotans and others. One plaintiff, a US citizen, stated he was stopped by masked ICE agents while walking to lunch.
The climate of fear has led to significant behavioural changes among communities of colour nationwide. To avoid questioning or detention, some individuals now take extraordinary precautions, including sleeping near their passports or carrying their birth certificates during routine activities like grocery shopping.
Call for First-Hand Accounts
The Guardian is seeking to hear from US citizens or permanent residents of colour from any part of the country who believe they have been recently targeted by immigration agents due to their race. Contributors are encouraged to share their experiences anonymously via a secure, encrypted form, with all personal data handled confidentially and deleted after use for this report.
