Ben Bergquam Rides with ICE: Inside the Tension
Real America’s Voice correspondent, investigative journalist, and host of Law and Border, Ben Bergquam, released a video on Monday showing an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation in Chicago. The footage, filmed from inside an ICE vehicle, documents federal agents as they prepare to apprehend a man with reported gun convictions and a prior order of removal. Throughout the video, Bergquam narrates what is happening around him and later exits the vehicle to show the tension between ICE, police, and local activists.
WATCH:
A Look Inside the Operation
Bergquam begins the video seated in an ICE vehicle with agents wearing bulletproof vests. He describes the target as a Mexican national with a history of weapons charges who had previously been ordered removed from the United States. According to Bergquam, the man had been released on bond and later picked up another gun conviction in August 2024. ICE officials tell him that the man’s bond is being revoked and that he will remain in custody until another immigration hearing.
Bergquam recounts a tragic case tied to the investigation. He says the suspect was connected to a shooting that killed a Guatemalan woman who was riding in a rideshare vehicle through Chicago’s Back of the Yards neighborhood. He explains that the woman was struck by gunfire intended for rival gang members and was killed instantly while video-chatting with her mother.
Sanctuary City Friction
The video centers on what Bergquam calls the “sanctuary problem.” He states that Chicago’s status as a sanctuary city prevents local police and jail officials from cooperating with ICE, forcing federal officers to make arrests in public neighborhoods instead of secure facilities. “Chicago PD isn’t allowed to work with ICE,” Bergquam says on camera. “If ICE could just go to the jails and pick up the criminals in jail, you wouldn’t have to come to the neighborhoods.”
He argues that this lack of cooperation makes operations more dangerous and consumes extra manpower and resources. ICE agents in the video describe how much surveillance and preparation go into each case and say that sanctuary policies make their work harder.
Confrontations with Activists and Police
As the operation unfolds, local activists appear and begin recording the scene, honking car horns, and shouting slogans such as “No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here.” Bergquam says these groups are part of the “Southwest Rapid Response Team” and the “Brighton Park Neighborhood Council,” which he identifies as activist networks that notify communities about ICE presence.
Bergquam describes seeing flyers distributed in the neighborhood advising residents not to open their doors to agents. He films protesters who question ICE’s presence and others who shout at him and the officers. He also notes that Chicago police respond to the scene but cannot assist ICE directly because of city policy.
The Broader Context
In the final minutes of the video, Bergquam summarizes his view that sanctuary policies cause confusion and waste resources. He states that if federal agents could coordinate with local law enforcement, operations like this could occur safely inside jails rather than in residential areas. The video closes with Bergquam thanking the ICE agents for their service and criticizing activist groups for interfering with the operation.