ICE capades: The Resistance
This week we take a look at the normal folks, day-in and day-out, defying the largest law-enforcement agency on the planet
As ICE becomes one of the largest law enforcement organizations on the planet, it couldn’t be more crucial for real-time reporting by journalists with experience on both the migration and authoritarianism beats. As part of efforts to provide that coverage, PWS brings you the weekly “ICE roundup”
A Winter of Discontent, and mass resistance
As the Department of Homeland Security continues to scale up migration enforcement operations across the county, national mass resistance is scaling up along with it. Here at PWS our "ICE Roundup” is usually a list of abuses and news committed by DHS personnel. This week we want to do something a little different and focus on the millions of people across the country practicing active resistance against the largest law-enforcement agency on the planet.
Spontaneous resistance to ICE operations are increasingly occurring across the United States, often making DHS operations difficult or even impossible. These tactics have developing all year, with many pioneered and perfected by latino communities in Los Angeles, but they are now occurring even in affluent suburbs across the country.
In multiple wealthy neighborhoods north of Chicago this week, residents obstructed and harassed ICE and DHS agents using whistles, verbal insults, and car horns. In at least one instance DHS personnel deployed tear-gas on suburban residents who had surrounded their black SUVs.
Community intervention in the city itself has been even more common, with restaurants, businesses, and neighborhood organizations organizing response plans to ICE deployments.
Citizen observer groups that follow ICE personnel throughout the day, another tactic initially developed in LA, have also become widespread.
In Chinatown in New York, thousands of residents who happened to be on Canal street during a DHS operation physically prevented ICE officers from executing multiple arrests, resulting in scuffles between passersby and law-enforcement.
In Oakland, protesters blocked the entrance to a the Alameda Coast Guard base being used as an ICE operational facility using industrial dumpsters and road construction equipment. Coast Guard and DHS officials fired live rounds at the driver of a U-haul truck they said was speeding towards them, injuring two protesters.
But resistance isn’t just taking place during DHS deployments, it’s occurring behind the scenes as well.
Groceries for the Resistance
In addition to community early-warning tactics that warn migrants about ICE deployments, some communities in LA are providing material support for immigrants who may be worried about leaving their homes.
A network of women has organized food deliveries for hundreds of immigrant families, serving entire blocks, church congregations, and apartment complexes. They hope to scale up their direct aid to their affected neighbors even further.
The same thing is happening in Chicago, with volunteers working with migration advocates and churches to keep worried immigrants fed.
Churches and clergy flex their muscles of dissent
Church groups across the country are showing up at demonstrations, helping to organize communities, and speaking out against large-scale operations.
At the Broadview facility in Chicago, more than 20 clergy members were arrested when they peacefully tried to block the main entrance used by ICE officials.
Chicago community rallies after ICE arrests father of teen fighting cancer
DHS arrested the father of young girl fighting cancer, in Niles, Illinois, but the detention sparked outrage in his community, who has demanded he be returned.
Ruben Torres Maldonado’s daughter, Ofelia Torres, 16, took to social media to spread awareness about her father’s detainment.
Torres’ 16-year-old daughter, Ofelia, spoke out at Illinois Congressman Mike Quigley’s Monday night meeting in Lakeview, saying she wishes her father was home to take care of the family as she fights cancer.
“You guys are targeting the wrong people,” she said. “You are targeting hardworking fathers, mothers, kids. They don’t deserve it.”
Her pleas have gone viral, inspiring outrage in the community, and outreach from around the countrt.
These are just a few of the millions of examples or ordinary folks taking active measures to resist ICE over the last week. You won’t see most of them in statements by the big media companies or in the speeches of politicians hoping to capitalize on popular outrage, but they are ongoing, and they are cumulative.
A million acts of resistance multiplied a thousand times have big effects. At times in history, when mass-resistance became commonplace, even disorganized resistance, it has toppled empires.
The Roundup
And ICE officer shot both a suspect and a US Marshal by mistake during an ICE traffic stop in Los Angeles. Neither injury was fatal.
As ICE ramps up recruitment, nearly a third of applicants can’t pass a basic personal fitness test. One ICE recruiter called the results “pathetic.”
ICE is spending more than $1.4 billion, the highest amount in 18 years, to acquire surveillance technologies such as an iris-scanning app, spyware that can hack into phones, and software that can track phone activity, including social media, without a warrant. Widespread government surveillance is on the way!
DHS announced migration enforcement operations in southern Florida this week, including in Miami. This story is worth watching as Trump has considerable support in the region.
ICE Chilling photo of the week:
ICE agents arresting a protester during spontaneous protests in Chinatown on Oct. 21, 2025. Photo by Dean Mose for AM New York.
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Hasta pronto, piratas
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