An Indian-American employee of the Illinois Department of Transportation was stopped and interrogated by three masked individuals claiming to be federal agents while working on a road-resurfacing project in Park Ridge, Illinois, on November 8. According to local media, the agents demanded proof of immigration status and asked whether he knew New York’s new mayor, Zohran Mamdani—himself of Indian descent.
Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker denounced the incident on November 9 as “racial profiling masquerading as enforcement” and has sought clarification from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). DHS later said the officers were not from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or Customs and Border Protection (CBP), fuelling speculation that they were part of an unannounced multi-agency task force.
![Indian-origin state employee questioned by masked US agents sparks profiling row]()
The episode comes amid stepped-up federal raids in Chicago, where courts recently imposed new limits on detention-facility conditions. Indian consular officials in Chicago have advised expatriates to carry photo ID and legal-status documents when travelling within the US Midwest until more details emerge.
For Indian companies with L-1 or H-1B assignees in the region, mobility managers should brief employees on their rights during workplace encounters and ensure that Form I-9 files are up to date in case of surprise inspections.
Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker denounced the incident on November 9 as “racial profiling masquerading as enforcement” and has sought clarification from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). DHS later said the officers were not from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or Customs and Border Protection (CBP), fuelling speculation that they were part of an unannounced multi-agency task force.
The episode comes amid stepped-up federal raids in Chicago, where courts recently imposed new limits on detention-facility conditions. Indian consular officials in Chicago have advised expatriates to carry photo ID and legal-status documents when travelling within the US Midwest until more details emerge.
For Indian companies with L-1 or H-1B assignees in the region, mobility managers should brief employees on their rights during workplace encounters and ensure that Form I-9 files are up to date in case of surprise inspections.
