U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin, who serves as the Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has begun an investigation into reports that U.S. citizens have been arrested during the Trump Administration’s immigration enforcement actions. In a letter addressed to Secretary Noem, Durbin criticized recent federal operations and raised concerns about their impact on American citizens, particularly minorities in cities such as Chicago.
Durbin referenced Secretary Noem’s recent statement at a press conference: “There’s no American citizens that have been arrested or detained. We focus on those that are here illegally. And anything that you would hear or report that would be different than that is simply not true.” He responded by stating, “This statement is patently false. The disturbing reality is that many American citizens have been caught in the Trump Administration’s indiscriminate and violent immigration enforcement dragnet across the country.”
Citing data from the first nine months of President Trump’s immigration crackdown, Durbin noted, “At least 170 citizens were wrongfully detained. As of mid-October, approximately two dozen U.S. citizens had been held for more than a day without being able to contact anyone, including their lawyers. The numbers continue to grow. My staff has documented the reported detention of at least 40 U.S. citizens in Illinois alone between late August and early November 2025. Since the President ramped up his militarized immigration raids in the Chicagoland area, arrests of U.S. citizens have occurred with increasing frequency.”
Durbin also linked these incidents to a recent Supreme Court decision: “The Supreme Court recently stayed a district court order that had prohibited federal immigration enforcement agents from stopping individuals based on factors such as their race or ethnicity and the type of job they appeared to work. The Court’s decision, coupled with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol’s indiscriminate enforcement tactics, have left Black and Brown Americans justifiably afraid that they will be targeted for immigration stops—now frequently referred to as ‘Kavanaugh stops.’”
He further expressed concern about oversight mechanisms within DHS: “To worsen matters, DHS has gutted offices responsible for overseeing ICE officers’ conduct and ensuring accountability for unlawful arrests and detention. Congressional oversight is thus critical to evaluate the impact of this Administration’s immigration enforcement tactics on U.S. citizens and whether ICE and CBP have taken steps to address longstanding problems regarding the collection of data about U.S. citizens.”
In response to increased federal law enforcement activity in Chicago under initiatives like “Operation Midway Blitz,” Durbin outlined several actions he has taken:
- Meeting regularly with state and local leaders—including Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson—as well as community organizations.
- Securing an agreement from Chairman Grassley for Secretary Noem to testify under oath before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
- Leading congressional letters urging President Trump not to deploy troops in Illinois.
- Demanding an end to certain DHS operations accused of violating due process rights.
- Filing an amicus brief supporting Illinois's legal challenge against National Guard deployment.
- Releasing fact checks countering what he described as misinformation from DHS regarding enforcement activities.
Durbin also described legislative efforts aimed at curbing domestic military deployments for law enforcement purposes without state consent; seeking improved transparency through body camera requirements for ICE/CBP officers; introducing bills ensuring access to legal counsel for detainees; attempting oversight visits at facilities where access was denied; calling for investigations into troop deployments; questioning officials about hiring standards at ICE; monitoring use of military resources by DHS; demanding direct communication with regional ICE leadership; challenging explanations offered by Attorney General Pam Bondi during committee hearings; critiquing Republican committee members' lack of engagement on oversight issues; chairing hearings focused on crime statistics versus federal responses; delivering remarks highlighting individual cases affected by raids; holding forums addressing broader impacts on constitutional rights; hosting meetings with NORTHCOM leadership concerning troop deployments elsewhere in addition to Illinois.
The investigation comes amid heightened debate over federal authority in local law enforcement matters—a subject complicated by legal challenges and conflicting views among elected officials.
