Federal Operations News Briefing: December 3-10, 2026
Key Developments
The Data Behind the Deportations
The Week's Rafi Schwartz reveals what ICE's own numbers show about the Trump administration's mass deportation campaign: in cities like Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Chicago, roughly half of those arrested had no criminal record. Nationwide, nearly three-quarters of ICE detainees lack any prior criminal conviction. It seems clear that detentions are more about meeting quotas than any sort of public safety.
Axios' Brittany Gibson reports that ICE arrests are surging as the agency races to meet Trump's deportation targets. Daily averages have jumped from around 300 in 2024 to over 1,000 in late 2025, with enforcement expanding to include more individuals without criminal convictions.
A Final Push for Dreamers
The Chicago Sun-Times' Mary Norkol covers Senator Dick Durbin's reintroduction of the DREAM Act—24 years after he first proposed it. The retiring senator cited the Trump administration's aggressive Chicago-area deportations as the reason the act must pass now. The bill would provide a citizenship pathway for immigrants brought to the U.S. as children who meet military, education, or work requirements.
Weaponizing the Safety Net
Mother Jones' Katie Herchenroeder reports that the USDA is threatening to withhold SNAP funding from over 20 Democratic-led states unless they provide sensitive personal data—Social Security numbers, home addresses—of food stamp recipients. Democratic governors warn this information could be weaponized for immigration enforcement, potentially affecting more than 20 million beneficiaries.
An Agency Turned Against Its Mission
The Chicago Sun-Times' Tom Schuba details how U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services—originally created to help immigrants—has shifted toward law enforcement under the Trump administration. USCIS employees now have law enforcement powers, arrests during immigration appointments have surged, and thousands have applied to become "homeland defenders" who scrutinize green card applications and review social media for anti-American ideologies.
Visa Denials as Political Punishment
The New Republic's Malcolm Ferguson exposes a striking new policy: the Trump administration is denying H-1B visas to anyone—or their family members—who has worked in content moderation or fact-checking. The State Department instructs consular officers to scrutinize employment histories for involvement in what it describes as "censorship," particularly at social media companies. This is particularly galling as the administration simultaneously employs its own content moderators to deny visas based on protected speech online.
Abuse in Detention
The Guardian's Lorena Figueroa details findings from a federal investigation into a Texas tent camp where migrant children were kicked, punched, and threatened by staff. The report documents inadequate supervision, lack of training, and systematic failures to report incidents at the facility holding more than 2,700 detainees.
Birthright Citizenship on Trial
Slate's Dahlia Lithwick examines the Supreme Court's decision to hear Barbara v. Trump, a case challenging the president's executive order ending birthright citizenship for children of immigrants. Lower courts have consistently ruled against the administration's policy, but the high court will now weigh whether to upend a constitutional principle upheld for over a century. The case was previously subject to a decision from the shadow docket which greatly reduced the power of lower courts to issue sweeping injunctions against executive actions.
Recent Stories
Chicago Stories
State Pushback, Federal Persistence
Block Club Chicago's Kelly Bauer and Francia Garcia Hernandez report that Governor Pritzker signed new laws providing "protective tools" against what he called those "terrorizing our communities." The legislation bans warrantless immigration arrests at state courthouses, requires hospitals and schools to establish protocols for handling enforcement, and allows individuals to sue federal agents for constitutional violations.
The Washington Post's María Luisa Paúl adds that the measures make it easier to sue immigration officers, though Pritzker acknowledged they won't stop federal enforcement entirely.
Warnings Ignored
The Chicago Tribune's Talia Soglin obtained emails showing the city ignored an advocate's warnings about potential immigration raids at O'Hare's rideshare lots for weeks before federal agents arrested at least 76 people—many of them rideshare drivers. Despite the city posting signs and increasing security, federal agents continued enforcement actions, and the city's executive order barring immigration enforcement on city property proved ineffective.
A New Era of Urban Enforcement
The Washington Post's Arelis Hernandez and colleagues examine what they call "the rise of Border Patrol in US cities," profiling Gregory Bovino, who leads urban operations that have shifted Customs and Border Protection agents from the frontier into Democratic-led cities. Her reporting from Chicago explores Operation Midway Blitz and who is being arrested in this new enforcement landscape.
Tear Gas in Elgin
The Chicago Tribune's Rebecca Johnson reports that federal immigration agents deployed tear gas and pepper spray on a crowd protesting a prolonged arrest in the northwest suburb during Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's visit to Chicago—an action neighbors called "uncalled for" and "tremendously disappointing."
The Mental Health Toll
Block Club Chicago's Ariel Parella-Aureli documents how immigrants in Chicago are experiencing increased anxiety, depression, and trauma following recent ICE raids. Mental health professionals are providing free therapy and workshops, but the psychological impact of ongoing enforcement—including what many describe as arbitrary arrests and racial profiling—remains severe.
Economic Devastation on 26th Street
Block Club Chicago's Charles Thrush covers interfaith leaders rallying to support immigrant-owned businesses on Little Village's 26th Street, which suffered economic losses up to 80 percent during Operation Midway Blitz. Community members shared stories of families separated by detentions and reduced customer traffic as fear gripped the neighborhood.
Political Theater at Navy Pier
NBC 5 Chicago's Izzy Stroobandt reports that DHS Secretary Kristi Noem's attendance at the annual "Christmas Tree Ship" event drew protesters criticizing the use of the charitable event for political purposes amid ongoing federal immigration operations in the area.
Emerging Themes
Force Against Elected Officials
The Intercept's Ryan Devereaux reports that Adelita Grijalva, recently elected Congresswoman from Arizona, was pepper-sprayed by police during a protest outside an ICE facility. The incident—where heavily armed tactical teams fired crowd suppression munitions at the lawmaker and protesters—has sparked criticism of law enforcement's handling of peaceful demonstrations. Authorities deny any wrongdoing.
Regional Chaos
The New Yorker's Jonathan Blitzer examines the Trump administration's actions in the Caribbean, including the pardon of former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández—convicted of drug trafficking—and controversial U.S. military strikes that resulted in scores of civilian deaths. The policies risk regional instability and could worsen refugee outflows from the region to the Southern border.
This briefing synthesizes reporting to provide communicators and non-profit leaders with an at-a-glance view of federal immigration operations affecting Chicago and the broader landscape.
