NATIONAL PROJECT DOCUMENTING IMPACT OF FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT SPOTLIGHTS ILLINOIS' FIRST-IN-THE-NATION RESPONSE

Disappeared in America highlights Illinois' effort to investigate federal law enforcement conduct, preserve the public record, and pursue accountability

CHICAGO - The work of Governor JB Pritzker's Illinois Accountability Commission is being highlighted as a national model for documenting federal immigration enforcement conduct and preserving the experiences of impacted individuals and communities through Disappeared in America, a national project launched by the Democracy Power Project. The project documents the names, faces and stories of people who have been detained, deported, separated from their families, killed or otherwise impacted by federal immigration enforcement. Additionally, the site includes a submission portal, where Illinoisians and individuals across the country can submit their experiences of potential federal misconduct.

"Last year, the Trump Administration launched an unprecedented military-style assault against our communities, sending thousands of masked federal agents to harass, intimidate, and abuse our people," said Governor JB Pritzker. "Administration officials allowed agents to act unconscionably and told them their actions would be immune from investigation or accountability-they are not. There will come a time where people of good faith are empowered to uphold the law, and Illinois will support the pursuit of justice to its fullest extent."

A central feature of Disappeared in America examines Illinois' response to Operation Midway Blitz and the work of the Illinois Accountability Commission. Disappeared in America used interactive and innovative storytelling to highlight Illinois' groundbreaking work. As part of its unique storytelling strategy, the platform features an animated short film to tell the story of Ofelia Torres, a Chicago teenager battling a rare form of cancer who was separated from her father after he was detained by immigration authorities.

"Disappeared in America started with one premise: we will record, we will hold perpetrators to account and we will never let this happen again in American democracy," said Beatriz Lopez, founder of the Democracy Power Project. "This is no ordinary site; we're building the historical record so that no future Congress, no future president, and no American can say they didn't know. There will be accountability, and the Illinois Accountability Commission under Governor Pritzker offers a roadmap for other states and future Congresses and administrations willing to hold responsible the architects and enforcers of this cruel agenda with truth, transformative policies, and full accountability under the letter of the law."

Illinois Built the Record to Lead by Example

Governor Pritzker established the Illinois Accountability Commission by executive order in October 2025 following federal immigration enforcement operations across the Chicagoland area. Housed within the Illinois Department of Human Rights, this is the first state-level commission in the nation to investigate federal law enforcement misconduct and produce a comprehensive public record of its findings and develop recommendations to prevent future harm.

Over six months, the Illinois Accountability Commission undertook a comprehensive examination of Operation Midway Blitz through public hearings, community engagement, witness interviews, expert analysis and extensive review of documentary and video evidence. Its work culminated in a comprehensive Final Report approved on April 30, 2026.

The Commission found patterns of illegal and violent conduct by federal immigration enforcement agents during Operation Midway Blitz. Its findings addressed use of force, warrantless arrests and discriminatory stops, detention conditions, enforcement tactics, transparency and oversight, and the broader effects of the operation on families, businesses, public safety and civic life in Illinois.

The Commission also examined the role of senior federal officials in establishing and overseeing the operation and documented what it found to be efforts by federal officials to encourage aggressive enforcement tactics, mischaracterize incidents involving federal agents and shield misconduct from accountability.

"The Commission found illegal and violent conduct by federal immigration agents, including unlawful stops and arrests, excessive force, and the use of paramilitary tactics in Illinois communities," said retired federal Judge Rubén Castillo, co-chair of the Illinois Accountability Commission. "Illinois showed that states do not have to stand by when federal power is abused. They can investigate, listen to their communities, document what happened, and build a public record that demands accountability. That model can-and should-be replicated across the country. Disappeared in America helps carry that model forward, preserving the Illinois record while giving communities elsewhere a foundation for documenting their own experiences."

From Investigation to Accountability

The Commission's mandate extended beyond documenting what happened.

Following its investigation, the Commission transmitted its report and a referral letter to the Cook County State's Attorney, Kane County State's Attorney and law enforcement agencies in Chicago, Evanston, Franklin Park and Elgin for review of evidence concerning potential violations of law. The Commission acknowledged that it does not possess subpoena power or prosecutorial jurisdiction and referred evidence to agencies empowered to conduct further investigations and, where appropriate, pursue action.

The Commission also requested testimony from federal, state, local and private actors aimed at preventing future misconduct and strengthening accountability. The Commission provided recommendations, which include stronger guardrails around immigration enforcement, ending indiscriminate enforcement sweeps and unlawful warrantless arrests, limiting identity-shielding practices, strengthening protections for sensitive locations, improving oversight of uses of force, expanding transparency and body-worn-camera requirements, protecting due process for people in detention, and preserving the record of Operation Midway Blitz for future accountability efforts.

The inclusion of Illinois' work in Disappeared in America extends that record beyond the Commission itself and provides another avenue for the experiences documented in Illinois to remain accessible to the public.

"The Illinois Accountability Commission was only possible because people had the courage to come forward and tell the truth about what they and their communities were experiencing," said Hina Mahmood, Executive Director of the Illinois Accountability Commission. "They trusted us with their stories at a moment when many people were afraid to speak, and together they created a record that could not have been built by any one person or institution alone. Disappeared in America builds on that spirit of collective action, carrying the stories gathered in Illinois into a national effort to make sure people have a way to document what is happening in their own communities."

The Commission's Final Report, investigative materials, public testimony, and referrals now form a state record that can inform policymakers, law enforcement agencies, researchers and communities in Illinois and across the country.

About the Illinois Accountability Commission

On April 30, 2026, the Illinois Accountability Commission issued its final report to the Governor and the People of Illinois in alignment with requirements outlined in Executive Order 2025-06 and submitted the report and a referral letter to the Cook County State's Attorney, Kane County State's Attorney, Chicago Police Department, Evanston Police Department, Franklin Police Department, and Elgin Police Department. This action followed the conclusion of its public hearings that revealed never-before-seen footage and brand-new eyewitness testimony from specific incidents targeting Illinoisans.

To view the letter and the full report, visit ilac.illinois.gov/final-report.

About Disappeared in America

Disappeared in America is a project of the Democracy Power Project documenting the experiences of individuals and communities impacted by federal immigration enforcement. The platform combines individual stories, documentary evidence and interactive storytelling to create an ongoing public record.