ICE in Illinois: Big Budgets, Bandwagon Politics, and the Fight for Accountability

FREEPORT, IL – September 11, 2025

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was created in 2003 as part of the Homeland Security reorganization following the September 11 attacks. The agency was designed to protect Americans by enforcing immigration laws, disrupting drug and weapons smuggling, and combating human trafficking.

More than two decades later, ICE has grown into a massive bureaucracy with an annual budget of $28 billion—making it one of the most expensive arms of the Department of Homeland Security.

But in Illinois, and particularly in Northwestern communities like Freeport, Rockford, Roscoe, Savanna, Shannon, and Galena, the question is unavoidable: has ICE delivered on its promises?

The evidence suggests otherwise.

Drugs: A Crisis That Has Only Deepened

According to the DEA’s 2024 Drug Threat Assessment for Illinois, Mexican cartels such as Sinaloa and Jalisco Nueva Generación dominate the wholesale drug market in Chicago and across the state. Chicago remains one of the Midwest’s largest drug distribution hubs, leveraging its trucking, rail, and parcel networks to push fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana throughout the region.

  • Fentanyl: Nearly replaced heroin entirely in the illicit opioid market.

  • Methamphetamine: Seizures and use are rising sharply in central and southern Illinois.

  • Cocaine: Availability and trafficking are also climbing.

Despite ICE’s role in seizing drugs nationally—more than 1.2 million pounds of narcotics seized in FY2023—Illinois continues to suffer devastating consequences. Stephenson County courts post felony drug indictments almost monthly, while Rockford regularly ranks among the top Illinois cities for drug arrests.

Even with billions invested in ICE, drug availability has not gone down. In fact, Illinois overdose deaths hit record highs in 2023 before dipping only slightly in early 2024. That modest decline cannot be linked directly to ICE; it’s tied more to local prevention and treatment initiatives.

Human Trafficking: Arrests Without Reduction

ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) division highlights trafficking arrests and victim support programs, including public awareness partnerships in Chicago. In FY2021, ICE reported 2,360 trafficking-related arrests nationwide and identified 728 victims.

But in Illinois, the reality looks different:

  • Rockford (Dec 2024): A sting arrested multiple men attempting to exploit minors.

  • Freeport (2024): Police secured indictments and extraditions of suspects in a trafficking case that crossed state lines.

  • Illinois State Police: Expanded trauma-informed training for officers statewide to better recognize trafficking victims.

These operations were spearheaded largely by state and local task forces—with ICE playing a supporting role. There is no clear data showing that human trafficking in Illinois has decreased because of ICE. Arrests occur, but the broader system remains unchanged.

Immigration Enforcement: More Raids, No Measurable Change

In September 2025, ICE launched Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago, marketed as a targeted crackdown on undocumented immigrants with criminal records. But reports quickly revealed that many of those arrested had no prior convictions.

In Illinois overall, the numbers tell the story:

  • In 2025, the share of ICE arrests involving noncriminal immigrants rose from 31% in January to 61% by June.

  • Chicago’s ICE office currently monitors nearly 18,500 immigrants through Alternatives to Detention (ATD) programs—more than any other office nationwide.

While enforcement has ramped up, there is no evidence the undocumented population in Illinois has decreased. What has increased is fear in immigrant communities, tension with local law enforcement, and costly political battles over sanctuary policies.

Politics: Slogans vs. Substance

Immigration and ICE have become hot-button political topics in Illinois. State Senator Andrew Chesney frequently invokes ICE in speeches and social media posts, positioning himself as a champion of law and order.

Earlier this year, Chesney went so far as to post “I ❤️ ICE raids” on social media—a gesture critics said reduced a complex public safety issue to a political stunt. One community observer put it bluntly:

“That kind of messaging not only highlights a spoiled childhood mentality but also points to a systemic issue running rampant throughout government on both extreme political sides.”

For Chesney, ICE functions as a symbol to rally supporters. But the reality on the ground—persistent drugs, trafficking, and violence—remains unchanged.

The Challenger’s Counterpoint

Challenger Joshua T. Atkinson takes a different approach. Rather than embracing slogans, he presses on accountability and results. In his words:

“The problem is that rather than being treated like a government agency created to serve and protect the people, it is being weaponized. The problem isn’t that ICE exists—it is that it is not being held accountable or to an acceptable standard. Taxpayers are paying this federal agency $28 billion a year, and in Northwestern Illinois we aren’t seeing a decrease of drugs, guns, and human trafficking. It has actually increased. At this point, either immigration is not the problem, or the agency itself is a complete waste of our tax dollars. Over two decades with these results at that price tag is not only unacceptable—it’s downright embarrassing. To put it in perspective, $28 billion equates to about $560 million that could be returned back to the states for local law enforcement. For rural Illinois cities like Roscoe, Freeport, Shannon, Savanna, and Galena, that would mean nearly half a million dollars a year for each local police department. No more staffing shortages, proper resources for K-9 units and school programs, body cameras for accountability, and equipment upgrades. That kind of funding would have a real, immediate impact on public safety where it matters most—right here at home. Instead, Washington pours billions into an agency that fails to deliver while small-town officers struggle to afford body armor.”

This contrast is striking: Chesney waves the ICE flag online, while Atkinson demands transparency, accountability, and results.

The Bigger Question for Illinois

Twenty-two years after its creation, ICE’s record in Illinois raises serious questions. Drugs still flow freely through Chicago, trafficking continues in Rockford and Freeport, and undocumented populations show no verifiable decrease.

What Illinoisans do see is an agency with:

  • $28 billion in funding,

  • rising arrests of noncriminal immigrants,

  • press releases about raids,

  • but no proven reductions in the problems it was built to solve.

For voters in Northwestern Illinois, the choice is simple: keep rewarding politicians who cheerlead ICE for clicks and headlines—or demand leaders who hold a $28 billion agency accountable to the people it was built to protect.