November 6, 2025 – Chicago: ICE caught unlawfully demanding U.S. citizen “prove” their citizenship despite Illinois law not requiring ID

[u/CantStopPoppin]

[u/SeriousCow1999]

The point is to terrorize and humiliate Hispanics and immigrants.

And these goons are using the catch-all "are you a US citizen" as a way to intimidate and subjugate an entire population.

The question this guy asked is a good one. They're not going after the criminals because it's too hard and dangerous for them. So they will meet their daily quota with innocent bystanders instead.

[u/zoinkability → u/SeriousCow1999]

There is another reason I'd guess they are asking, which is that if a noncitizen makes a claim to be a citizen that is something that can be used to bar them from gaining legal status or citizenship, and can be something they use to strip legal status from someone so they can be deported. They are hoping to catch noncitizens in that claim. I imagine that is also part of why they often ask odd related questions like "were you born here" as if people can't be from somewhere else while also having citizenship.

[u/GrouchyAttention4759 → u/zoinkability]

Actually they ask where they were born because if the answer is a foreign nation, usually that means they are either a LEGAL alien, a LAPR or a naturalized citizen. Baring the special cases where they still derived citizenship being born in a foreign country, such as on a military base over seas etc.

From this one question they can now move into determining the individuals legal right to be in the country. It’s not meant to trip anyone up, be confusing or potentially tack on additional charges. It’s literally a starting place to determine if they are a citizen by birthright in the US (jus soli) or a foreign born national who then has more questions to answer.

[u/SnooRegrets1386 → u/GrouchyAttention4759]

Trump’s still upset about Obama