Exclusive: ICE Disappearances Documented by New Site Backed by Pritzker
A project backed by JB Pritzker's team is described by organizers as a public record of Trump's mass deportation campaign.
A new website, Disappeared in America, has been created by Illinois Governor JB Pritzker's administration to document hundreds of cases of people affected by immigration enforcement efforts during the Trump administration. The site, backed by the Illinois Accountability Commission, aims to create a public record of the impact of ICE operations on immigrants and American citizens.
The launch of the website comes amid a political battle over immigration enforcement, with the White House touting arrests of alleged gang members and murder suspects, while critics argue that large-scale operations have led to the deportation of many immigrants without criminal records and numerous civil liberties violations.
Beatriz Lopez, co-founder and executive director of the Democracy Power Project, emphasized the importance of the website in holding the administration accountable and ensuring that the stories of those impacted are not forgotten. She stated that the ultimate goal is to prevent such events from happening again in the future.
The website features nearly 500 documented cases, including instances where ICE agents were involved in shootings, such as those of Lorenza Salgado Araujo and Johan Sebastian Duran Guerrero in Texas and Maine, respectively. Additionally, the site includes stories of U.S. citizens who were fatally shot by federal agents, such as Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.
The Illinois Accountability Commission, established in October 2025, was created in response to Operation Midway Blitz, ICE's sweeping enforcement activity in Chicago and the surrounding area. The commission was formed to investigate federal officers and their activities, as local protesters clashed with federal agents, and local law enforcement intervened to maintain order.
The advocates behind the website argue that enforcement actions are often reduced to numbers in government announcements, and news stories about specific cases often fade into obscurity. By creating a public historical record, they aim to ensure that the voices of those affected are preserved and held to account.
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