- By Shivangi Sharma
- Sun, 09 Nov 2025 12:43 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
A routine day turned into a disturbing encounter for an Indian-origin employee of the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) after he was stopped and questioned by masked US immigration agents, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. The worker, who is a US citizen, was interrogated about his immigration status, and bizarrely, even about newly elected New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, before being released. The incident has fuelled anger among state leaders, who are accusing federal authorities of racial profiling.
With Donald Trump back in the White House and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem leading the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the administration has intensified Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations nationwide. Officials have escalated deportations, arrests, and workplace questioning of immigrants as part of Trump’s promised crackdown on “foreign nationals.”
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Governor Pritzker Slams ‘Identity-Based Targeting’
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker publicly condemned the encounter, calling it part of a “pattern of racial profiling” by federal agents. “I am appalled they would stop and question a state employee working hard on the job to help improve our state’s roads and infrastructure,” Pritzker said in a strongly worded statement. “Our state employees should be able to do their jobs without masked agents targeting them for no legitimate reason.”
He accused DHS of “questioning US citizens apparently based on the colour of their skin,” demanding accountability.
Interrogation On Job Site
According to the governor’s office, three masked ICE officers approached the man at the Busse Highway resurfacing project in suburban Illinois. The agents asked: whether he had travelled to New York, if he “knew” about mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, and repeatedly questioned his immigration status.
The worker eventually presented identification proving his citizenship before being released.
The Sun-Times also reported that Border Patrol Commander-at-Large Gregory Bovino led a caravan across Chicago’s Southwest Side the same week, going door-to-door questioning residents about their legal status, despite federal judges previously placing limits on DHS enforcement tactics.
Local lawmakers warn that such operations create fear, discourage cooperation with authorities, and erode trust in government institutions.