In the wake of recent immigration arrests in the Chicago area, a suburban family is seeking the intervention of ICE to release Abel Orozco Ortega, a father and local business owner detained under questionable circumstances, as his family faces the crisis of losing their primary provider. Ortega was taken into ICE custody on January 26 and has been held since, causing distress and financial hardship to his family, with his wife Yolanda detailing their plight to the media, "We could end up living on the street," the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
The Ortega case sparked a lawsuit filed against ICE, alleging illegal arrest practices, and is part of a broader issue involving 22 individuals arrested by ICE under the new Trump administration; the arrests were immediately criticized by advocacy organizations and attorneys as being in violation of a 2022 federal court settlement limiting warrantless actions by the immigration agency, but despite this ICE has detained individuals including Ortega, who was returning from buying tamales for his family as detailed by CBS News Chicago.
Representatives from the ACLU of Illinois and the National Immigrant Justice Center have joined the fray, alleging that the arrests contravene an agreement with ICE concerning the necessity of warrants, and are calling for the enforcement of the settlement, "ICE is not allowed to make warrantless arrests in the Chicago area unless officials believe that the person is in the country unlawfully and have reason to believe that the person would flee before a warrant is secured," said Rebecca Glenberg, chief supervising litigation counsel of First Amendment for the ACLU of Illinois, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
A hearing on the motion is likely set for April, a critical juncture for the Orozcos and others affected, "He is a working man, he is loving, he is caring, he’s responsible," Eduardo Orozco, Abel's son, portrayed his father's character, passionately appealing for justice while speaking to the Chicago Sun-Times.
