Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem unwittingly posted a video showing a U.S. citizen being detained during early morning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids just outside Chicago.
Noem, dubbed “ICE Barbie” for her love of cosplaying in uniform roles, once again played up to the cameras on Tuesday by joining law enforcement on the ground during “Operation Midway Blitz” targeting undocumented migrants. She later shared a video of the raid in Elgin, Illinois, showing men being handcuffed who she suggests are accused of crimes including assault, DUI, and felony stalking.
However, one of those detained was 37-year-old Joe Botello, a U.S. citizen born in Texas.
“I’m just blessed that I’m still alive,” Botello told the Chicago Tribune, describing how armed, masked agents broke down his door and placed him and his roommates in handcuffs. “I’ve been hearing it and seeing it through social media. But it never crossed my mind that it was going to happen here at the house… where I live.”
Botello said he was never told why he was cuffed or read his rights while being detained. The father of five added that one agent even asked how he spoke English so well, to which replied because he’s American.
After showing his ID, Botello and another man were released. CBS News reported that a second U.S. citizen was wrongly detained during the raid, while four others were taken into custody.
“I’m glad I was able to grab my wallet in order to have some type of identification,” Botello said. “I’m still a little bit in shock. I’m just glad that I’m OK. I recommend that everyone always have their documentation—passport if they can, and any type of ID that would identify them. Stay safe.”
Noem made no mention of her agency’s mistake while promoting the raid online.
“President Trump has been clear: if politicians will not put the safety of their citizens first, this administration will. I was on the ground in Chicago today to make clear we are not backing down,” she wrote on X. “Our work is only beginning.”
The DHS denied that any U.S. citizen was arrested during the early morning raid.
“They were briefly held for their and officers safety while the operation in the house was under way. This is standard protocol,” a spokesperson told the Daily Beast.
DHS said it was launching Operation Midway Blitz across the Chicago area in honor of Katie Abraham, a 20-year-old killed in a drunk-driving hit-and-run in January while visiting the University of Illinois. The driver accused of hitting her is a Guatemalan man who was living in the U.S. illegally.
State Sen. Cristina Castro, a Democrat representing Illinois’ 22nd District, warned residents to “brace” for more ICE raids.
“I think it’s unnerving. It’s unsettling. People are afraid,” Castro told the Tribune. “They’ve been afraid even to celebrate Mexican Independence Day weekend. But this is just going to put more fear in hard-working people who really just are here to have a better life.”
