Pediatric appointment no-shows and cancellations spiked among Latine and Spanish-speaking families in Chicago following ICE's Operation Midway Blitz in September 2025. Research presented at the AAP conference indicates Spanish-speaking appointment no-shows rose by 8.7 percentage points. Similar ICE surges in California's Central Valley disrupted schools and farm labor, while Illinois Governor JB Pritzker backed a new database documenting 500 cases of enforcement harms.
Pediatric appointment no-shows during Operation Midway Blitz
- ▪Adjusted study figures showed an increase in pediatric appointment no-shows for Spanish-speaking families and a decrease for English-speaking families during Operation Midway Blitz.
- ▪A study presented at the AAP Annual Conference found no-shows and cancellations at Lurie Children's Hospital pediatric outpatient clinics increased in Chicago after Operation Midway Blitz began on September 6, 2025.
- ▪Pediatric appointment cancellations in Chicago zip codes with high ICE activity rose after Operation Midway Blitz, compared to in other zip codes.
- ▪Appointment no-shows and cancellations rose 4.2 percentage points among Latine pediatric patients and among Spanish-speaking patients in Chicago following Operation Midway Blitz.
Community impact of Operation Midway Blitz
- ▪Operation Midway Blitz was a federal immigration enforcement operation targeting Chicago-area neighborhoods starting on September 6, 2025, that resulted in thousands of ICE arrests and detentions.
- ▪Demonstrators in Chicago clashed with federal agents during Operation Midway Blitz in late 2025, prompting local law enforcement intervention to maintain order.
- ▪Operation Midway Blitz produced empty local storefronts and elevated school absences across Chicago neighborhoods following its launch on September 6, 2025.
Governor Pritzker on federal enforcement
- ▪Illinois Governor JB Pritzker accused the Trump administration of deploying thousands of masked federal agents to harass and intimidate Illinois communities during immigration operations.
- ▪Illinois Governor JB Pritzker established the Illinois Accountability Commission in October 2025 to investigate federal immigration enforcement actions and officer misconduct during Operation Midway Blitz.
Documentation by Disappeared in America database
- ▪The Illinois Accountability Commission and the Democracy Power Project launched Disappeared in America, an online database documenting nearly 500 cases of individuals impacted by ICE enforcement operations.
- ▪The Disappeared in America database reports that over 605,000 people were deported, 400,000 were detained, and 33 people were killed during ICE operations under the second Trump administration.
- ▪The Disappeared in America database documents fatal shootings by federal agents, including the July 2026 deaths of Lorenza Salgado Araujo in Texas and Johan Sebastian Duran Guerrero in Maine.
Central Valley ICE surge impacts
- ▪Organizers in Madera, California postponed the third annual Oaxacan Guelaguetza festival due to community fears surrounding increased ICE activity in October 2026.
- ▪Fresno high school students staged protests on October 9, 2026, in response to increased ICE enforcement operations across California's Central Valley.
- ▪An ICE enforcement surge in California's Central Valley in October 2026 caused significant reductions in school attendance, agricultural labor participation, and local construction work.
United Farm Workers opposition to ICE
- ▪United Farm Workers Vice President Elizabeth Strater reported that California farmworkers began documenting federal immigration enforcement patrols on October 6, 2026.
- ▪United Farm Workers President Teresa Romero condemned ICE enforcement patrols in California, accusing federal agents of conducting warrantless stops and targeting Latino farmworkers.
Immigration enforcement in Kerman
- ▪ICE agents shattered the window of asylum seeker Prudencio Rivera's vehicle during a traffic stop in Kerman, California, before detaining him.
- ▪Kerman Mayor Maria Pacheco directly confronted ICE agents on October 8, 2026, demanding federal officers stop detaining residents in her city.
Fresno ICE agent shooting incident
- ▪A 72-year-old Fresno resident shot and wounded an off-duty ICE agent who allegedly assaulted the resident on October 9, 2026, leading to assault charges against the agent.
- ▪Police reported that the off-duty ICE agent shot in Fresno on October 9, 2026, had fallen asleep intoxicated on a front lawn before assaulting a resident.
Story comments
Loading comments…