Copyright Newsweek
A group of Girl Scouts said they cancelled a food drive after seeing an encounter between masked ICE agents and the public. The group's activities in Oak Park, Illinois, were cut short after seeing the agents surrounded by a group of people. Newsweek has contacted the Department of Homeland Security via email, and the Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana via an online contact form for comment. Why It Matters DHS agents are carrying out the hardline immigration policies of President Donald Trump. Trump, who campaigned on a tough immigration stance, has pledged to carry out the largest mass deportation in American history. But as the administration has mobilized to do this, it has in turn, faced criticism for the tactics employed, and there have been continual clashes between DHS agents and the public. The DHS launched a crackdown in Chicago called “Operation Midway Blitz.” The agency has said that the operation will “target the criminal illegal aliens who flocked to Chicago and Illinois because they knew Governor Pritzker and his sanctuary policies would protect them and allow them to roam free on American streets.” Illinois Governor JG Pritzker has, in turn, criticized this, writing in a post on X back in September, “This isn't about fighting crime.” “That requires support and coordination — yet we've experienced nothing like that over the past several weeks. Instead of taking steps to work with us on public safety, the Trump Administration's focused on scaring Illinoisians,” Pritzker said. And as ICE has increased activity in Chicago, so to has hostility increased towards them, causing disruption in the city and reflecting political divisions. What To Know A group of the local girl scouts and their parents had set out for the group’s annual food drive on Saturday, November 8, collecting donations for a Beyond Hunger food pantry in Oak Park. But the drive reportedly went awry as the group encountered a crowd who were surrounding federal agents and their vehicles. Speaking to the local newspaper, the Chicago Sun Times, Brooke Grolux, a parent of one of the girls, said, “It just went from a morning of us trying to do something good and teaching the kids about helping others… ICE turned it into a scary and what felt like an unsafe environment for us to be out with these kids." At first, they decided to continue with the drive. But after seeing more vehicles, Grolux said the group decided it was not safe to continue with the food drive. What People Are Saying Tim Granholm, an Oak Park parent of Girl Scouts, told the Chicago Sun Times: “The irony of it is very apparent… [the scouts] are unable to help their neighbors because of these masked men in the community.” Social media user @ReporterHal, in a post on X: “This happened 1 block from the home I grew up in. I can’t imagine seeing this as a kid: Masked ICE agents put damper on Oak Park Girl Scout food drive: ‘It’s heartbreaking as a mom’ - Chicago Sun-Times.” Social media user @emptywheel, in a post on X: “Now @StephenM’s goons are disrupting Girl Scout food drives.” Homeland Security, in a post on X on November 10: "The rampant violence against law enforcement in Chicago is UNPRECEDENTED—These attacks are the consequence of smears from @GovPrtizker, @ChicagosMayor, and fellow sanctuary politicians. They have fueled an environment of violence against federal law enforcement. Over the weekend, Border Patrol faced gun fire, violent mobs at every stop, bricks and other objects thrown at them, and four vehicle rammings. Make no mistake: this violence will not deter us. We will keep going." What’s Next Enforcement operations are expected to ramp up as the administration looks to remove millions of migrants without legal status.
