Durbin Reprimands DHS Agents For Cruel Treatment Of U.S. Citizen And Chicagoan Who Was Ripped From Her Car, Aggressively Arrested And Detained For Hours Without Cause

Durbin Reprimands DHS Agents For Cruel Treatment Of U.S. Citizen And Chicagoan Who Was Ripped From Her Car, Aggressively Arrested And Detained For Hours Without Cause

"ICE is making a mockery of the Constitution when it comes to due process," Durbin said in his speech on the Senate floor

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today spoke on the Senate floor to criticize the Trump Administration's cruel so-called "Operation Midway Blitz" in the Chicago area, which has sown fear among communities in the city. In his remarks, Durbin denounced the aggressive immigration enforcement actions taken by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), who are now routinely detaining U.S. citizens.

"It was several weeks ago when the President announced he was going to send in his own team for two purposes. First, he would send in the National Guard, federalized in Illinois, as well as the National Guard from Texas to 'bring order' to the streets of Chicago. [It's r]idiculous, and that hasn't happened because the courts have said there is no justification for it. Then he [President Trump] was going to also send in the Department of Homeland Security to go after immigrants," Durbin began his remarks.

"So in came the ICE forces. They have changed the circumstances of law enforcement dramatically in the Chicagoland area," Durbin said. "They're not seeking terrorists, rapists, and murderers. They are going after people who are Hispanic. It is a racist policy, and I use that term advisedly. If you are Hispanic, look Hispanic, if you live in a Hispanic neighborhood, if you happen to be on the street when Hispanic people are nearby, you are one of the targets of this ICE operation in Chicago."

Durbin then shared a disturbing story reported in the Chicago Tribune, in which a U.S. citizen was brutally arrested and detained by immigration enforcement officials without due process. On October 10, masked federal agents ripped Dayanne Figueroa from her car after the federal agents drove into Figueroa's car. Federal agents forced Figueroa to the ground and then detained her for several hours. Figueroa, who had recently had kidney surgery, was injured and bleeding from the aggressive arrest, and after being released from immigration detention, her mother rushed her to a nearby hospital.

"This is Dayanne. She is an American citizen. She is a mother of a 5-year-old boy. She works in a law firm in Chicago. And in October one morning, she was headed to work. She decided to go for a coffee to bring it to work and then got involved in a scene which is almost impossible to believe, but it was all captured on videotape," Durbin said.

Durbin described the incident by reading from the article: "'An unmarked vehicle driven by federal agents collided with Figueroa's as it tried to speed away from a hostile crowd, multiple videos reviewed by the Tribune show.'"

"I watched on the videotape, as the ICE vehicle, the unmarked vehicle crashed into her car. The Tribune goes on to write, 'seconds after the crash, agents abruptly stopped their vehicle and exited with weapons in hand pointing at Figueroa…Agents then forcibly opened the door and pulled her out of the vehicle by her legs without identifying themselves, presenting a warrant, or informing her of an arrest… ICE…forced Figueroa into a red minivan and drove away,'" Durbin read from the article.

"What if this…were your mother, your wife, or your daughter being manhandled by ICE agents. You would be outraged," Durbin said.

Following the incident, DHS released a statement claiming that Figueroa had "crashed into an unmarked government vehicle and violently resisted arrest, injuring two officers." Durbin criticized DHS' statement, instead urging Americans to watch the video of ICE agents' aggressive arrest of Figueroa for themselves.

"Look at the video for yourself, and you will find out those [DHS' claims] were lies. That is not the truth in any way, whatsoever. So then what happened to her as they took her away in the red minivan? Unfortunately, she was transported to multiple unreported disclosed locations, repeatedly denied contact with family or legal counsel," Durbin said.

"ICE is making a mockery of the Constitution when it comes to due process," Durbin continued.

Durbin slammed the Trump Administration for detaining Figueroa for hours, during which her mother was unable to locate her. Further, Figueroa's mother was given no justification for her daughter's arrest or detainment. Despite DHS claims that immigration officials do not arrest U.S. citizens, officials did nothing to verify Figueroa's immigration status before forcibly pulling her from her vehicle and unlawfully detaining her.

"What stunned Dayanne's mother the most was that, despite her daughter being a U.S. citizen, the family couldn't locate her during this time. 'She said no authorities, including the Chicago police could give her clarity on why she was arrested,'" Durbin quoted the Tribune article.

"What about the criminal record of Dayanne Figueroa? 'Her record shows nothing more than a few minor traffic violations, the Tribune found,'" Durbin read from the article.

Durbin again described the horrific actions depicted in the videos recorded by bystanders during Figueroa's arrest. Directly contradicting the events that clearly occurred in the video, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin claimed Figueroa "used her vehicle to block in agents, honking her horn," and "struck an unmarked government vehicle."

"As you watch this videotape, as they drag her out of the car, kneel on her body, and hold her on the pavement, you're going to think, 'what in the world are they doing to her?'" Durbin said. "Videotapes don't lie. Unfortunately, we can't say the same for Assistant Secretary McLaughlin."

"This is an example of what is happening on the streets of Chicago. To say that you're doing this to capture rapists, murderers, terrorists, and the criminally insane is an insult to this young lady who was simply going to work when an ICE vehicle ran into her. She was arrested and detained for hours. Luckily, she was finally released with no charges filed against her. That is what's happening in Chicago in the name of making it safer. It is not making it safer. It is making a mockery of the Constitution," Durbin said.

Durbin underscored that DHS' actions are sowing fear in Chicago communities, preventing people from living their daily lives because they are terrified of being swept up by federal agents.

"They are living in mortal fear-fear that if you happen to go to the grocery store, you're going to be stopped and asked to prove that you're an American. If you can't prove you're an American, you could disappear-literally disappear, taken into the system at a place called Broadview [ICE Facility] and detained for periods of time," Durbin said. "This is literally taking people off the streets, dragging them out of cars, just like this young lady, and taking them to detention for hours at a time with no contact or legal counsel or family or location."

Durbin concluded his remarks by urging the public to keep their eyes on Chicago and call out the Trump Administration for its aggressive actions against innocent residents.

"This is the type of thing that is outrageous in the name of making America safer. It makes a mockery of our Constitution. I'm sorry for what happened to this young lady, but I hope her story will convince others to carefully watch what [the Trump Administration] is doing in the state of Illinois," Durbin concluded his remarks.

In response to the Trump Administration's surge in federal law enforcement in Chicago and continuous threats to deploy the military in the area, Durbin has taken a number of steps to push back on these unlawful actions carried out by DHS and Secretary Noem under the direction of President Trump. Durbin's actions to push back on the Trump Administration's so-called 'Operation Midway Blitz" and "Operation At Large" can be found here.

Video of Durbin's remarks on the Senate floor is available here.

Audio of Durbin's remarks on the Senate floor is available here.

Footage of Durbin's remarks on the Senate floor is available here for TV Stations.

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