Inside an Immigration Arrest That Sparked a Neighborhood Protest

On October 12, 2025, during the Trump administration's immigration crackdown in Chicago known as Operation Midway Blitz, residents witnessed federal immigration agents chase and detain a young Latino man outside their homes. As neighbors questioned the agents and documented the encounter, what began as a routine enforcement action became a remarkable record of community resistance.

Sawyer Avenue, Sunday Afternoon, directed by Bill Morrison and produced in collaboration with Invisible Institute, reconstructs the incident through witness cellphone footage, federal body-worn camera footage released through litigation, and investigative reporting.

Here is Jamie Kalven's accompanying essay, originally published by The New Yorker.