() Border czar Tom Homan said Chicago should “absolutely” expect a surge of immigration enforcement operations this week, adding that deploying National Guard troops to protect the operations is “always on the table.”

“You can expect action in most sanctuary cities across the country,” Homan said Sunday. “President Trump’s prioritized sanctuary cities because sanctuary cities knowingly release illegal alien public safety threats to the streets every day. That’s where the problem is.”

That same day, cameras captured an Immigration and Customs Enforcement van returning to an ICE facility in Broadview, Illinois, where at least six detainees were unloaded.

At least one man was detained in the Archer Heights neighborhood by federal agents in unmarked cars. Community activists say the ICE arrests of at least three people were caught on surveillance camera, including one man well-known in the area.

“He’s been a flower vendor here for quite some time. You see him consistently, especially on the weekends. Very sweet gentleman, never causing problems with anyone. Very respectful,” Chicago resident Celina Morin told .

The arrests coincide with Mexican Independence Day celebrations in the Windy City. About 21% of Chicago’s population is Mexican, according to the Census Bureau.

has reached out to ICE for more details about the people detained in Chicago.

Protests erupt in Chicago as Trump renews Guard threat

The arrests came after several thousand protesters gathered in downtown Chicago, vocally opposing the White House’s efforts to expand ICE operations and bring in other federal forces.

Protests also erupted outside the ICE processing center in the northern suburbs of Chicago, where undocumented immigrants can be temporarily detained.

The small crowd was shouting at ICE officers, and officers pushed back literally.

Trump posted on social media Saturday, saying the city was about to “find out why it’s called the Department of War,” adding he loves “the smell of deportations in the morning.”

‘Patriot 2.0’ ICE action targets Boston

On the East Coast, federal immigration officers are carrying out the Trump administration’s “Patriot 2.0″ ICE action in Boston, Massachusetts. ICE officials told the Boston Herald that more than 100 people have been detained since the operation kicked off Thursday.

DHS said it is focused on detaining violent criminals like alleged sex offenders, pedophiles, murderers, drug dealers and gang members.

“Look, I’ll say this, I’m a former prosecutor. I’m a former attorney general. I’ve said many, many times, including to the Trump administration, that I support, as attorney general and now as governor, everything we can do on public safety,” Healey said on MSNBC’s “The Weekend.”

“But what we have seen from ICE and from the administration really isn’t about public safety, it’s about political theater. It’s about a political power grab and an attempt to intimidate,” she added.

A similar immigration enforcement mission in May resulted in nearly 1,500 arrests statewide.

partner The Hill contributed to this report.