On October 6, as 15-year-old Diego Rosales waited for his school bus in Chicago, two SUVs abruptly pulled up. Three masked white men, wearing bulletproof vests over green uniforms, exited the vehicles, stared at Rosales, and quickly approached him.

Rosales's first thought was to run home to his mother. She had warned him that despite being a U.S. citizen, born in Waukegan, a Chicago suburb, the streets were no longer safe for dark-skinned, dark-haired Latin Americans like him. This was due to federal agents enforcing a "better to arrest wrongfully than to miss" policy during immigration sweeps.

Security cameras at the street corner recorded Rosales running around a building, with agents close behind. After three blocks, the agents tackled Rosales to the ground, shouting, "Where were you born?"

While restrained, Rosales stammered, "I am a U.S. citizen, I was born in Waukegan." Upon hearing this, the agents left. However, Rosales has since limited leaving his home, fearing another encounter. His family is considering taking him to a psychologist.

Diego Rosales photographed at a playground near his home in Waukegan, Illinois. Photo: WP

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is aggressively implementing the Midway Blitz immigration sweep campaign. This initiative extends beyond Chicago to cover all of Illinois and neighboring areas like Lake County, Indiana.

Although Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem recently stated that no U.S. citizens have been arrested during the campaign, Rosales and many other Latin Americans in the Chicago area recount very different stories.

The U.S. Supreme Court recently allowed immigration agents to consider skin color as a factor when deciding to question an individual's legal status, exceeding typical police control limits. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh stated that if U.S. citizens are arrested during these sweeps, their brief detention is merely a "temporary inconvenience."

However, in Chicago and other locations, some Latin American citizens report being detained for hours, even days, after being wrongfully arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. Others, though not detained, claim they were "assaulted because of their skin color."

Dayanne Figueroa, a U.S.-born and raised legal professional, was driving to work on the morning of October 10 when she heard continuous car horns. This is a common way Chicagoans warn each other about nearby immigration agents.

Federal agents pursue Diego Rosales in Waukegan, a Chicago suburb, on October 6. Video: WP

Figueroa accelerated to avoid the chaotic area, but an SUV without flashing lights or official markings approached and crashed into the side of her car. Agents rushed out, guns drawn, pulled Figueroa from her vehicle, and handcuffed her as she struggled on the pavement.

She was placed in the third row of a red van, seated between two trembling Hispanic men. She repeatedly stated she was a U.S. citizen, demanding the masked agents identify themselves and their agency.

"No one will help you. You are all criminals," an agent said, looking through the rearview mirror.

The video of the incident quickly went viral. DHS later responded, accusing Figueroa of using her car to "block agents and honk loudly," and that she had "crashed into an unmarked government vehicle." DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin described Figueroa, 31, as an "agitated suspect, arrested for assaulting a federal agent."

Figueroa maintained she was not following the agents, stating she was on her way to work. After 4 hours of detention, she was released without charges. She had recently undergone kidney surgery before her arrest and reported being hospitalized afterward. Doctors stated she suffered bruises and a urinary tract infection.

Immigration agents crash into Figueroa's car and restrain her on her way to work in Chicago, on October 10. Video: WP

DHS officials stated that the Midway Blitz campaign targets "the worst criminals." However, the Washington Post, citing available records, showed that immigrants committing serious crimes accounted for only a small fraction of arrests in Chicago.

It is unclear how many U.S. citizens have been stopped or arrested during the Midway Blitz campaign and recent sweeps. DHS has not provided figures nor responded to requests for comment on the cases mentioned. Lawyers and community activists report many other cases, but those involved "dare not speak out due to fear."

Some have expressed outrage at the agents' tactics. On November 8, Rafael Veraza, a 25-year-old U.S. citizen, drove his wife and young child to a supermarket in Cicero, west of Chicago, for shopping. Seeing the chaos around unmarked vehicles carrying immigration agents, his family decided to leave the area.

On their way out, Veraza's wife raised her phone to record the incident in the parking lot. Just then, an SUV drove past, and an agent inside sprayed pepper spray into the family's car.

The couple immediately poured water on their crying daughter's face and rushed to the hospital. Doctors there had to consult a toxicology expert, as they had never seen a baby sprayed with pepper spray. They then advised the couple to take their child to a specialist to assess the risk of long-term damage to the child's lungs and eyes.

The Veraza family was pepper-sprayed in their car in Cicero, west of Chicago, on November 8. Video: WP

DHS spokesperson McLaughlin denied that federal agents sprayed pepper spray at anyone outside the supermarket. She also offered no explanation or comment on the video recorded by the family.

Veraza stated that what happened prompted him to speak out and consider filing a lawsuit. "I don't know how I'll explain to my daughter that she was pepper-sprayed on her way with her parents to buy diapers and milk," Veraza said.

Duc Trung (According to Washington Post, AP)