In Chicago, ICE actions are triggering a new wave of political activism

By Eric Westervelt,

Jessica Pupovac

Published September 21, 2025 at 8:14 AM EDT

Many protestors responding to "Operation Midway Blitz," the stepped-up immigration enforcement in Chicago, are politically active for the first time in their lives.

Eric Westervelt

Eric Westervelt is a San Francisco-based correspondent for NPR's National Desk. He has reported on major events for the network from wars and revolutions in the Middle East and North Africa to historic wildfires and terrorist attacks in the U.S.

See stories by Eric Westervelt

Jessica Pupovac

See stories by Jessica Pupovac

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