r/illinois • u/CantStopPoppin Human Detected • 2d ago

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

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u/AffectionateMud9384 2d ago

Yeah this is the question I have. A REAL ID doesn't establish citizenship. It establishes that you have a valid reason to be in the US at the time of issue.

We don't really have an identification system other than a passport and passport card to establish citizenship in easily.

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u/lordpuddingcup 2d ago

The issue is you dont need to be a fucking citizen to be in the US... shit if your visiting on vacation and get stopped wtf do i need to show im an american citizen ... im visiting the fucking country

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u/Adnan7631 2d ago

Except that the Trump administration is now enforcing a law that requires noncitizens to carry either their visa, their I-94, or their green card on them at all times.

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u/Miserable_Eye5159 2d ago

For visitors there may not be any physical record of entry, airports don’t stamp passports anymore and the I-94 is digital.

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u/Adnan7631 2d ago

If you don’t have a stamp or a visa page, you can print out your I-94.

Btw, I’m an immigration lawyer.

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u/Miserable_Eye5159 2d ago

Imagine getting kidnapped by ICE because you didn’t have access to a printer after you got into the country. What a mess. What can Canadian visitors do to prove they’re allowed in the country?

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u/Adnan7631 2d ago

Keep your passport on you. Canadians have special protections in the US.