By admin 
Illinoisans know the terror the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) can inflict with its unlimited resources and unchecked power. We have been surveilled, threatened, tear-gassed, shot, subjected to warrantless arrest, rammed with vehicles, kidnapped and disappeared. In the time since Donald Trump regained the White House, our communities documented, witnessed and testified to DHS’s abuses.
Read more Ramirez: “The call for accountability must not go unanswered. We need an independent prosecutor.”
In April, the Illinois Accountability Commission published its , which included recommendations that local law enforcement pursue criminal and civil prosecutions against federal agents who used excessive force. One incident highlighted in is the violence that occurred on Oct. 3, 2025, in Logan Square at Funston Elementary, when federal agents deployed tear gas close to the recreational area where children were present. The Commission determined what we already knew: Federal agents should be formally investigated for possible violations of agency policy, state and federal criminal laws and individuals’ constitutional rights.
Residents in Illinois’ 3rd Congressional District and across the state carry with them the trauma of Operation Midway Blitz. We are reminded of the families torn apart and futures stolen in the empty school desks, the families put at risk of eviction, the businesses struggling and the livelihoods lost because legal documents went unrenewed by the federal government.
In a city like Chicago, Operation Midway Blitz was another painful reminder that the system was never meant to keep us safe. No church is sacred enough, no hospital is critical enough, no school is precious enough to stop the persecution of our neighbors. The bottom line? Our communities do not feel safe, because we are not safe. The federal government has been weaponized to terrorize our communities, violate our rights, and undermine the Constitution. To confront state violence, we must demand accountability and resist the authoritarian erosion of our civil rights in the streets, in our workplaces and at every level of government.
That’s why the call for accountability must not go unanswered. That’s why I led the fight to get Kristi Noem fired, filed the Melt ICE Act to defund and dismantle immigration detention and enforcement operations and am working on legislation to dismantle DHS. It is also why I joined more than 200 community and civic leaders to petition for the appointment of an independent prosecutor in Cook County. After nine months of waiting on the Cook County State’s Attorney to answer our call for accountability, an independent special prosecutor would ensure our communities have the representation we need for a thorough investigation of crimes perpetrated by federal agents.
Public officials at every level of governance must meet the moment. The Cook County State’s Attorney must reckon with the unprecedented nature of the federal government’s violence against our communities. As Congress uses the budget process to force through expanded funding for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection to terrorize our communities and violate our rights, our constituents will not and cannot accept an endless cycle of excuses. When our residents demand more of us, public officials must view demands for accountability and safety as an invitation into greater leadership, not as a political attack.
Let’s be clear: The threat of fascism, the erosion of the rule of law and the end of democratic governance are ultimately on the line. While the fate of our petition will be decided on Thursday, our coalition will continue to demand justice, defend our democracy and stand in solidarity with our most vulnerable constituents. We see what is possible in Minnesota, where prosecutors are taking a stand, investigating and charging federal agents and working closely to encourage local law enforcement to deliver justice. Illinois must be next.