Chicago Resident Federico Alcantar Detained by ICE for Months After Mistaken Identity Arrest, Say Protesters

In a powerful display of unity and resistance, residents of Chicago’s Southwest Side came together on Saturday to voice their opposition to ongoing immigration operations within the city. Their collective voices rose in song, a testament to their solidarity and resolve.

The gathering was fueled by a call for justice for Federico Alcantar, a 22-year-old who has been held in ICE detention for several months. Alcantar’s detention followed a traffic stop in October, during which immigration agents, reportedly searching for another individual, arrested him at gunpoint.

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Mariela S., a close family friend, vividly recalled the shock and despair that followed Alcantar’s arrest, stating, “I still remember that Saturday morning when I found out and the feeling of my heart crushing. All I could think of was he didn’t deserve this.”

Alcantar’s situation is all the more pressing given that he is the primary guardian of his two younger siblings, a role that underscores the emotional and practical toll of his absence.

Katherine Greenslade, who represents Alcantar, highlighted the unusual circumstances of his detention. “Under normal circumstances, he would have been out on bond within weeks of being detained,” Greenslade explained. “Instead, our government is spending incredible amounts of time and money to keep a young man from going to work or providing for his siblings.”

During a packed Saturday morning news conference at St. Pius Catholic Church in the Pilsen neighborhood, elected officials at all levels of government rallied together, along with community members and leaders. They are sending a unifying and clear message so Alcantar knows he is not alone and he is loved.

“The only just thing for him to do is to be released by ICE and Homeland Security,” U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García said.

“What I have heard about Federico today is he was the best of the best. He was standing up for his siblings, so this is not a matter of justice or protection,” U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin said. “It’s cruelty.”

Community organizers say Alcantar’s mother died of cancer, while his father was murdered in Mexico, building a case to keep Alcanta and his family together in the United States.

“We have a federal administration wreaking havoc on our communities,” Illinois Sen. Rachel Ventura said. “Causing fear and chaos to tear families apart. We must not allow this.”

Saturday’s cry for help and mercy comes ahead of a critical moment in Alcantar’s story. He is set to appear before an immigration judge on Thursday, Feb. 19, who will determine whether he can stay or be deported.

Community members pray their message of hope resonates with federal leaders.

“We are here for you today and beyond,” Deportation Defense organizer Jocelyn Aranda-Ortiz said. “What we share here today cannot end here. The presence we saw here today, the voices, the solidarity is only the beginning.”

ABC7 has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security but has not heard back.