Judge Orders Release Of Hundreds Of Migrants Detained By ICE: Report

CHICAGO — In two separate rulings Wednesday, federal judges questioned recent arrests by federal immigration agents as part of "Operation Midway Blitz," resulting in blowback from the Department of Homeland Security.

ABC7 Chicago is reporting Judge Jeffrey Cummings ordered the release on bond of up to 615 migrants arrested in the area by Nov. 19, citing DHS violated a consent decree that limits the ability of federal agents to conduct warrantless arrests. As part of the ruling, the judge ordered the Trump administration to show the court how many of the migrants represented in the lawsuit are still in the country or have criminal records.

DHS rebuked the ruling by what it called an "activist judge." On the agency's X account, DHS said the decision puts the lives of Americans directly at risk.

In the other case, the media outlet reports the Trump administration has been ordered to provide a bond hearing for Diana Patricia Santillana Galeano, the Chicago daycare worker who was dragged screaming from her place of work by federal agents. Judge Jeremy C. Daniel ruled the 38-year-old's detention without a hearing is unlawful, as it's a violation of her right to due process. The bond hearing needs to be held on or before Nov. 18.

Related: $150K Donated To Daycare Teacher Dragged Screaming By ICE From Chicago Workplace

Santillana Galeano's arrest on Nov. 5 at Rayito de Sol Spanish, a daycare center in Chicago's North Center neighborhood, drew the ire of community members as she was taken into custody in front of her students by federal immigration agents without a warrant. The incident was captured on video.

U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley said Santillana Galeano, who is Columbian, had a work permit. She had fled Colombia in 2023 amid threats to her safety, was cleared to work in the U.S. through late 2029 and filed for asylum. As of Wednesday, she was still being held at an ICE facility in Indiana.

DHS defended the arrest, saying Santillana Galeano was in a car with a male driver who did not comply with officers' sirens and lights, instead fleeing into the daycare with Santillana Galeano, where they tried to barricade themselves. The department has denied Santillana Galeano’s release on the grounds that noncitizens who enter the country without inspection face mandatory detention, a policy newly issued earlier this year.

A GoFundMe was created to help Santillana Galeano with legal funds. As of Wednesday, $157,000 has been raised of a $150,000 goal. Organizers said the campaign resulted in the hiring of a "top-notch" immigration defense counsel, led by Kalman Resnick, of Chicago-based legal firm Hughes Socol Piers Resnick & Dym, Ltd.

Relateed: ICE Arrests IL Daycare Teacher, Dragging Her Screaming From Place Of Work — Video