An Indian-origin employee of the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) was allegedly questioned by three masked agents about his immigration status while working on a construction project in the US state. The agents also asked him if he knew New York’s new mayor, Zohran Mamdani.
According to The Chicago Sun-Times, the man, an Indian-American and a US citizen, was performing his duties on the Busse Highway resurfacing project when the agents approached and questioned him about his background and connections to New York. The encounter comes amid rising scrutiny over immigration enforcement actions in the Chicago area.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker strongly condemned the incident, calling it part of a disturbing trend of racial profiling by federal officials. He accused President Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem of “continuing to question US citizens apparently based on the colour of their skin.”
“I am appalled they would stop and question a state employee working hard on the job to help improve our state’s roads and infrastructure,” Pritzker said in a statement. He added that state employees “should be able to go to work and do their jobs without masked agents targeting them for no legitimate reason.”
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) denied that the agents were part of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The governor’s office did not clarify which agency the agents represented.
Following the incident, schools in Park Ridge-Niles District 64 were advised to keep students indoors after reports of ICE agents in nearby areas, said Superintendent Ben Collins.
Shivam Verma is a journalist with over three years of experience in digital newsrooms. He currently works at NewsX, having previously worked for Firstpost and DNA India. A postgraduate diploma holder in Integrated Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, Shivam focuses on international affairs, diplomacy, defence, and politics. Beyond the newsroom, he is passionate about football—both playing and watching—and enjoys travelling to explore new places and cuisines.
