Federal immigration agents patrolled downtown Chicago on Sunday as the Trump administration ramps up immigration crackdowns in major cities across the country.<\/p>\n
The Border Patrol agents spotted downtown were armed, masked and camouflaged, according to NewsNation<\/a>, The Hill\u2019s sister network.<\/p>\n Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said hundreds of ICE officers were downtown as part of its \u201cMidway Blitz\u201d operation in Chicago, which began on Sept. 8, NewsNation reported.<\/p>\n The Chicago Sun-Times reported<\/a> that agents made multiple arrests downtown, including in the River North neighborhood Sunday morning. <\/p>\n The Department of Homeland Security said in a post on the social platform X<\/a> that 11 people were arrested outside an ICE detention facility in Broadview, Ill., on Saturday amid a large protest at the center.<\/p>\n The post added that two guns were seized and an investigation has been opened \u201cinto what appears to be some sort of explosive device\u201d outside the facility.<\/p>\n The raids have sparked concerns from immigrant communities and outrage from Democratic lawmakers<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) called the presence<\/a> \u201ca show of intimidation\u201d that is \u201cinstilling fear in our communities and hurting our businesses.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe cannot normalize militarizing American cities and suburbs,\u201d Pritzker added in another post<\/a> Sunday. \u201cMake sure you know your rights and stay alert.\u201d<\/p>\n Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D) said Chicago residents \u201care being intimidated and threatened by masked federal agents flaunting automatic weapons for no apparent reason.\u201d <\/p>\n The administration defended the actions Sunday, after federal agents were seen walking through downtown Chicago, including near the Trump International Hotel and Tower.<\/p>\n \u201cI would say the majority are actually glad we\u2019re here,\u201d Gregory Bovino, commander-at-large of U.S. Border Patrol, told NewsNation of the public reaction. \u201cThey are congratulating us, saying, \u2018It\u2019s about time you\u2019re here.\u2019 Especially those inner-city residents here in Chicago are very glad were here, because oftentimes they\u2019re up against that vast illegal migration that took place over the past four years. They\u2019re the ones dealing with the violence perpetrated by illegal aliens.\u201d<\/p>\n Johnson has previously criticized the Trump administration for threatening to send National Guard troops to Chicago. <\/p>\n Last month, the president sent troops<\/a> to Washington, D.C., and federalized the District\u2019s police department. Six other Republican-led states \u2014 Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia \u2014 have also sent troops to Washington.\u00a0<\/p>\n Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) also told reporters Friday that federal agents will arrive in Memphis this week, following Trump signing an executive order establishing the Memphis Safe Task Force<\/a> on Sept. 15.<\/p>\n