ICE says its agents won't target the Chicago Marathon, but some runners aren't taking chances | AP News
By: SARAH RAZA (AP News)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Runners cross the LaSalle Street bridge during the Chicago Marathon, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune via AP, File)
By SARAH RAZAL
Michael Guidotti will have his driver's license on him when he runs the Chicago Marathon, just as he did during every training run since summer.
After the Trump administration escalated its immigration crackdown in the city, runners like Guidotti, 31, are worried they could become a target during Sunday's race.
"Just knowing that I do come from a Hispanic background and also that I am somewhat darker, and that these individuals do seem to be targeting people of that demographic as well," Guidotti said. "So it's just an extra precaution that I'm taking that I have my driver's license with me at all times."
Questions have been swirling for weeks over whether Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents might target the marathon, which draws thousands of runners from around the world each year. Reflecting the unease, event organizers sent an email to participants Wednesday that referred to an immigration "Know Your Rights" page on the city's website.
An ICE spokeswoman, Tanya Roman, said rumors that agents will be at the race are false.
"It's absolutely ridiculous to ascertain that ICE would conduct immigration enforcement to intentionally disrupt the Chicago marathon," she said in a statement. "These are the kind of rumors that fan the flames of dissent and result in unwarranted and dangerous riots like those in Portland, Chicago and Los Angeles."
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When asked whether its officers might target the marathon, Customs and Border Protection, which has also been highly active during the immigration crackdown, was noncommittal, saying that people in the country legally need not worry.
Such assurances might not calm the fears of some participants, though.
Asked last week by a podcaster whether there would be "ICE enforcement" at the Super Bowl in February in California, Kristi Noem, who runs ICE's and CBP's parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security, said immigration officers would be "all over" the event.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks during a roundtable meeting with President Donald Trump on antifa in the State Dining Room at the White House, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
DHS always heads the security effort at the Super Bowl, which is a bigger event. But Chicago has become a top target of the Trump administration, which has escalated immigration enforcement in the city through aggressive raids and tactics. Protesters at immigration facilities have been arrested, and President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard there to protect federal property and federal law enforcement, including ICE agents.
The Chicago Marathon is a major tourism draw for the city and one of the biggest races in the U.S., with 52,150 finishers last year. There were 15,000-plus international participants in 2024, according to race organizers, who didn't respond to requests for comment. Among foreign countries, Mexico was best represented, with 3,790 participants. It was followed by the U.K. (2,814), Canada (2,442) and Brazil (1,811).
The course winds through 29 neighborhoods, and more than a million people line the streets to support the runners.
FILE - Competitors race down State Street during the 45th annual Chicago Marathon, Oct. 8, 2023. (Trent Sprague /Chicago Tribune via AP, File)
Pilsen, a predominantly Latino neighborhood, is known for the energy that locals bring, with loud cheering and mariachi music blasting. But Enrique Rivera, who leads the neighborhood's Venados Running Club and will be watching this year's race, isn't expecting the same energy.
"I'm absolutely sure that people are going to stay home," he said. "There's street vendors that aren't out on the street doing their sales that impact their life. I'm sure they're also going to be able to cut off recreational activities like cheering on runners."
Rivera said his club is encouraging runners to stay informed, keep a list of important contacts on hand, and run in groups. Some club members have discussed what documentation they should bring.
"There is something in the air that says, 'No, it doesn't feel right,'" he said.
Critics say the immigration crackdown, which has swept up people who are legally living in the country, including U.S. citizens, is a sweeping government overreach, and that ICE engages in racial profiling.
Participant Amar Shah, 31, said that even though he was born and raised in the Chicago suburbs, he's worried that his Indian heritage could make him vulnerable.
"I shouldn't have any concerns from a legality standpoint, but I am a brown man. I have a beard," he said. "I could be seen as someone who fits the stereotype of folks who are being targeted right now."
Michael Rodriguez, the alderman for Chicago's 22nd ward, which is home to a large Latino community, said businesses are "hurting" amid concerns about ICE, and this year's race may bring less economic activity to the city than usual.
"I'm worried about those hundreds, maybe thousands of individuals from out of town, who come from internationally and throughout the nation to run," Rodriguez said. "The hotel rooms they stay in, the restaurants they dine in, the money they spend in our city is going to be negatively impacted."
"Some people might not come, others may choose not to spend their money," he said.
Mayor Brandon Johnson expressed confidence this week that the marathon would go off without a hitch, noting that roughly 3,000 runners from Mexico have signed up, "and I want them all to come."
"I feel strongly about our ability to be able to hold large-scale events, and the strategic security measures that we're putting in place are to ensure we continue to hold a reputation of hosting large-scale events," the mayor said.
___
Associated Press writers Jay Cohen in Chicago and Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin, contributed to this report.
SARAH RAZA Raza covers South Dakota for The Associated Press. She is based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
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Its a good bet that some innocent brown person here from another country to run in the marathon will be arrested by ICE.
If a brown person is running it must be because they are an illegal that just raped a pretty white girl.
"It's absolutely ridiculous to ascertain that ICE would conduct immigration enforcement to intentionally disrupt the Chicago marathon," she said in a statement. "These are the kind of rumors that fan the flames of dissent and result in unwarranted and dangerous riots like those in Portland, Chicago and Los Angeles."
Here in Colorado, I have been around Hispanics most of my life. I can assure you they aren't '"brown".
Does that derogatory definition include people from India and other Southeast Asia countries?
Fear mongering continues unabated.
Purely a propaganda phrase. There are no riots in Portland, Chicago or Los Angeles.
There have literally been anti ICE riots in two of those cities within the last 120 days.
In the third, people have intentionally rammed ICE agents twice in the last 10 days.
You’re stretching the truth to the breaking point, dude. Maybe take a deep breath, have a drink, or watch some golf. Do something to calm down the hyperbole.
Just to refresh the definition, in case it’s been lost amid the steady stream of government propaganda, a riot is a large-scale, sustained act of civil disorder that causes significant property damage or injury.
A crime is an individual criminal act. When someone gets arrested or attacks another person, that’s a crime. It is not automatically a riot.
This distinction matters because calling every protest or isolated clash a “riot” is propaganda. It’s a deliberate effort to paint entire populations or movements as violent, so that heavy policing and the suppression of lawful protest can be justified.
By citing facts.
The definition of a riot is contained in US law.
Riots were officially declared in both Portland and LA just a few months ago.
That's fact, no matter how inconvenient you find it.
LOL
Do you think this description of a "riot" merits sending in military troops ?
I've never seen a gathering that small officially declared a riot, so I don't know. I also wasn't there when the code was written, so I'm not sure why they would set that threshold.
The actual riots in Portland and LA involved far more people.
Regardless, there is an official legal definition and an official method for declaration. So claiming they didn't happen is just nonsense.
Thomas was making the point that there doesnt seem to be any visual evidence of a riot. I dont think a group of three guys with one of them wrassling with a cop would pass too may peoples conception of a riot, but according to you, it legally justifies a military response. What are we doing here ?
Well i;ve wound up unwounded somehow, at more than a few violent confrontational gatherings, yet i've attended only a couple declared riots. It was a riot. but one really needs to laugh at what these clowns are attempting to sell as "riots", with only a few protestars protesting ICE tactics where masked anonymous gung ho bully type instigators are out abusing their powers cause those were the marching orders, and wasn't this supposed to be about 'Borders" ? Cause these orders Constitute disorder as the uneccesarry gifts and presence of masked militia aren't Gomezs' 'Thing' like desire of a 'Morticia, cause this is more like an invading militia gone wild on spring brake like summertime Keystoned Coppers conducting negativity in a free feel from their frequentedly violated oh so deadly protestars from Hell, that are eating our cats, our dogs, after setting cities on fire just so they could Bar B Q anon thoughts into the extreme, broughts, sew they throw on sum Brauts, as u need to ketchup, cause U must a herd, these protestars detest the Orange turd that looks, but won;t, Flush down that golden poor so lindy thrown off of his low horse, cause unstable is he, and to a tempt , De jesus christ ' already, the events on the ground don't match or light up, what he saidy already, and he has been called out for as much by a few judges, cause it seems he needs spme nudges, but if nudged up to the quart unSupreme, our liter may be granted Russ Voughts Dream, and I 'm shore, both are not, cause wet, is what the corrupt court got, these too, pos, cause tri as u mite, ewe ain't gonna win this fight to the finish, the tarriff is too high on the spinach
Thomas was specifically referring to a comment about riots as "propaganda".
Well, it's not propaganda we had officially declared riots in both LA and Portland just weeks ago.
Thank you.
Los Angeles
Portland
After a discussion and verification with chatGPT
Hahahaha. Officially by whom? It is Autumn, dude. "Just" 119 days for Portland and over 150 days for LA.
It is propaganda and you are distributing it.
So as long as any couple random people order some driverless cars to the scene of a peaceful protest and then light them on fire, it turns it into a "riot"? Really? Or anytime a couple of masked agitators throw smoke bombs or bottles, the other thousand or so peaceful protestors are guilty of insurrection? True American patriots watched in horror as scum bag bigots stormed our capital, beat capital police officers with flag poles, pepper sprayed them and broke through the doors of a federal building, ransacked offices, chased legislators with zip ties in hand all to install their dear Leader as President, and the fucking useless conservatives looked the other way and then supported their dear Leader in pardoning anyone who our country dared hold responsible. And now they're supporting sending national guard and border patrol onto our streets but ONLY IN DEMOCRAT STATES AND CITIES like the fucking partisan pieces of shit they are, and you try and defend it with these two pictures as if that explains it all. What a fucking joke.
And just to make it clear, because I don't want any dishonest pieces of shit trying to misconstrue my argument, anyone who is attacking of throwing anything at ICE or any law enforcement should be held accountable for their crimes. But only those who actually do that shit! Not the pastor who is praying or the thousands of other peaceful protestors. Arrest those who commit crimes, how fucking hard is that for these wannabe Rambo's? Or are they such weak whiners that they have to arrest everyone because they can't take the time or effort to actually arrest those committing crimes?
The curfew area in Los Angeles was 1 square mile of downtown L.A. in a city of 502.7 square miles. The curfew was from 8pm until 6am for the first few days, then 10pm until 6am on the last night. The curfew was in effect for one week. There were lots of exemptions:
No one who lives in L.A. thought of it as a "riot". There were some minor incidents that the local authorities were able to deal with caused by a few hoodlums late at night after the protestors had left.
OK, so you are finally admitting there were riots.
You are now reduced to pretending that a time period of less than 6 months is somehow so long ago that remembering there were riots is somehow "propaganda".
Is there just no level of silliness you won't embrace to keep protest fantasy alive?
Oh FFS.
It turns into a riot.... officially... when local authorities declare a riot. Which they did. In Los Angeles. And Portland.
It's not some judgement that I'm making. The people in charge of those places declared that the demonstrations were riots. If that displeases you, write the mayor.
LAPD did. So did Karen Bass. It's their call, and they made it.
If you disagree, argue with them.
But denying that they did this thing that they did in an official capacity in a public announcement is fucking ludicrous.
What is fucking ridiculous is you being unable to demonstrate a riot that required military troops on the street.
Prove it. When did they use the word "riot"? Provide a link to the public announcement you claim calls the disturbances a "riot" or any statement in their official capacities or otherwise where they used the word "riot".
What?.... right burning cars isn't a sure sign of a riot.......
Provide a link to the public announcement where the LAPD and/or Karen Bass in their official capacities called the disturbance a "riot". That's the question at hand.
No, the question at hand is were there riots in L.A. and Portland? Not whether or not community leaders in those progressive cities were able to honestly describe current events....
You need to re-read Comments 3.1.12, 3.1.15 and 3.1.18. Then get back to me.
This Administration is rather unique in determining what constitutes an emergency or a riot.
A thousand or so people watched a half dozen electric cars burn for hours in LA and the National guard was called in even though the protests were outside and confined to a few square blooks.
The same Administration redefined the January 7 riots, the beating of law enforcement people at the Capital and the violation and trespass there within all legal protests and eventually exonerated, on the anniversary of which 1500 were pardoned and 14 had sentences commuted.
Defending this Administration using semantics as factual is more than just a stretch.
Pity, you can't see it.
Okay...
Okay what? Did you read your links? Nothing there shows a public announcement, or any annoucement in their official capacities or otherwise, from the LAPD or Karen Bass calling the disturbances a "riot".
No doubt... if they don't say it how can it be?...
I think you dropped in on the wrong discussion.
Right..
So let's talk about what you want to talk about, maybe. I see the picture you posted and it shows a group of about a dozen hooligans with a car on fire. For that you think the Marines should be called in, even though it was successfully taken care of by local officials.
Here's another picture of a riot. Bring in the National Guard! Call in the Marines! This riot was at the University of North Texas. Obviously, the local officials there aren't capable of taking care of the problem.
Exactly who, other than you, has raised that question? Why are you committed to this bizarre criteria?
Is Karen Bass now part of the Trump administration? When did that happen?
Was Trump somehow in charge of LAPD back in June?
The insane level of denial you need to have to refuse to acknowledge a riot when it was declared so by a very liberal Democratic mayor and the LAPD is just staggering.
And you're going to try to accuse somebody ELSE of not being able to "see it".??
What the actual fuck.
You still haven't provided a link to the alleged public announcement of a "riot" you claim was made by the LAPD and Karen Bass.
Your comments 3.1.15 and 3.1.31 are a fraud and a fucking lie. Pathetic.
What is bizarre about saying the army should not be used unless absolutely necessary? As you have inadvertently shown the letter of the law is inadequate to make that decision.
Unlawful assembly declared in downtown LA as protests escalate
Unlawful assembly is a legal term to describe a group of people with the mutual intent of deliberate disturbance of the peace. If the group is about to start an act of disturbance, it is termed a rout; if the disturbance is commenced, it is then termed a riot.
Your denial and insults don't change anything...
Bullshit, unless you think a bonfire at the homecoming rally is an unlawful assembly...
Your suppposed link doesn't prove anything other than that you don't understand what the discussion is about. Where is the link proving the LAPD or Karen Bass stated in a "public announcement" in their "official capacities" that the disturbances in Los Angeles were a "riot"? That is what was claimed and it is a LIE. The person who originally made the claim certainly hasn't provided proof, and that's because it doesn't exist. Really pathetic.
I think your comment is clueless.
I'll take that with a grain of salt, given that your comments thus far have been obtuse or lies.
My comments have been open and straight forward. Comments were made claiming that the LAPD and Karen Bass stated in "public announcements" in their "official capacities" that the disturbances in Los Angeles were a "riot". I asked for proof of that "public announcement", but none has been provided. Your comments have been nothing more than an attempt to obfuscate and perpetuate a fraud. Your contention that my comments have been lies compounds your failure and refusal to engage in a good faith discussion.
Have a wonderful day.
Okay, please source the photo and claim made in 3.1.29.
Links have been provided. If you don't think only the LAPD with the mayor's office approval could declare downtown LA an unlawful assembly area then that's on you...
I think you've got that backwards. Your contention that my comments attempt to obfuscate compounds your failure and refusal to engage in good faith.
I am thanks
Is there no level of stupidity that you will not hold dear to your heart if peed on by the dear leader?
It doesn't really matter if they were declared riots or not. What "riots" there were ended four or five months ago .
There are presently no riots occurring.
The cities are not in flames.
The cities are not hell holes where the people are afraid to go out for fear of losing life or limb.
Unless they look or sound like a foreigner or a reporter, then they face detention and extrajudicial deportation by the masked and armed thugs of ICE, or they could even be shot, have their car rammed.
Hell, ICE even went on a pre-dawn raid party, cleared out a whole apartment building, zip tied the residents, citizen or not, ransacked their apartments, all for another made-up gang bust that they still haven't released the results of.
The only domestic terrorists that I see are the ICE agents and their enablers.
Nope, no reign of terror here, just happy citizens welcoming the wannabe military into their homes. Move along. /s
The administration has made a point of attempting to label all dissent from its policies as un-American and the result of a made up organization of liberal domestic terrorists. and The administration is trying to convince the American public that there is an organized network called antifa that wishes to destroy America. All of this malarky is propaganda.
Which brings me back to my initial point
Why? Because there are no riots currently occurring in any of those places. She is blaming a non-issue (rumors causing dissent) for a non-event ( unwarranted and dangerous riots like those in Portland, Chicago and Los Angeles). Otherwise known as propaganda.
Did you miss the meeting of the "People Pretending Not To Notice The Dissolution of US Democracy and Installation of An Authoritarian State Because That is Really What We Want, What We Want, What We Really, Really Want"?
I heard that it was right after the " Carl Schmidt: How To Create an Enemies List. A practical guide to Us and Them ". Did that class run long?
Mmmm, nuff said...
It does when people are claiming they didn't happen.
Which makes them no less pertinent when a public official speaks about "the kind of rumors that fan the flames of dissent and result in unwarranted and dangerous riots".
It is perfectly reasonable to cite past instances when admonishing people not to repeat the behaviors that led to them.
Excellent example. No, Pacific Palisades is not currently in flames. You would not argue that point if the LAFD were issuing warnings to avoid the behaviors that contributed to the last ones.
Here's one from your favorite person
Let's not lose sight of the fact that Trumpists are clamoring for the imposition of a police state. That's what all of Trump's misdirection and deception is aimed at, and his followers take their cues from him.
How could I forget? We are reminded daily.
I agree, ICE should be at the finish line.
ICE should be focused on criminals.
Isn't that someone who breaks the law?...
Technically they are.
That said, there do seem to be better uses for LEO resources.
You know what I mean.
It gets old, every time on this site, having to qualify this with the obvious 'criminals other than being here illegally'.
Yes.
Bullshit! ICE should focus on removing illegals, that is their only job, they wouldn’t have to look for “criminals” if the fucktard liberals who run the big cities didn’t shield them from ICE after they committed crimes.
Take a breath, calm down.
Trump campaigned on removing murderers and rapists (and all those dog and cat eaters). Pretty much anyone would support that. Most people would also support deporting recent illegals.
Going after illegals who have domiciled here (e.g. been here 5 or more years, married, gainfully employed, raising a family) calls for a very different solution. Something along the lines of a path to citizenship.
A smart, sensible approach would be to lock down our borders so that we control who comes into our nation and deal with domiciled illegals in a humane and economically sensible fashion. As opposed to an emotional knee-jerk (and for some ... blind rage).
ICE should prioritize
1 Violent criminal
2 Anyone that has a conviction or previous deportation
3 Anyone that is here illegally.
While I don't disagree that would mean congress would have to do their job, something they seem not to want to do. In the mean time the law should be followed even if it sucks. Rather than try to blame it on the other guys and protest ice agents doing their job maybe we should put the blame squarely on congress where it belongs. Protest them, that is the real way to get the laws changed
But they clearly are not doing so.
Closing the border is one issue and congress does have responsibility here.
But Trump is going way overboard with his attempted purge of any illegal regardless of the circumstances and without due process.
Congress has the responsibility to come up with a workable solution to legally become a citizen and to address those that have lived here for years illegally.
They are picking up some of each category.
Correct.
Trump should be working with Congress to deal with the long-term, domiciled issue while making intelligent use of ICE to deport murderers, rapists, etc.
Bullshit, the border was thrown wide open to anybody amd everybody yet Trump and company should be more surgical in their enforcement?? Nah, if you're here illegally and get caught up in this, you have no one to blame but yourself and your enabler...
You should read what people write before posting. I suggested that Trump should go after murderers, rapists, recent illegals, etc. as per his campaign promise, and that we (as a nation) need a different, strategic approach for dealing with domiciled illegals.
Further, our border has never been "thrown wide open to anybody and everybody". That claim illustrates a fantasized alternate reality. It is not clear thinking.
That would mean the dems would give Trump a major win. Never gonna happen, no matter how good the deal is.
It's funny. It seems the more states protest ICE the more likely long term illegals will get caught in the net. And when they are they can't just be ignored and let go.
I do not have faith in either party to do much good nowadays.
What I stated is what should happen, not what will happen.