Inside a Christian mother’s fight against ICE activity in Chicago

CHICAGO (RNS) — The first thing Audrey Luhmann does when she wakes up is check her phone for reports of federal immigration enforcement activity in the Chicago area. A mother of eight and devout Christian, Luhmann and her family have been part of a volunteer network tracking and documenting federal enforcement actions since September 2025, when the Trump administration launched “Operation Midway Blitz,” a mass deportation campaign.

“Every day since September has been a day of unknowns,” she said. “So we don’t know if we’re going to be home an hour from now.”

In between documenting what she describes as “anything illegal” she and her family see during enforcement actions, including arrests without a judicial warrant, use of force and traffic violations, Luhmann also collects food, clothing and other supplies for immigrant families and people released from detention. Off and on during the week, she helps care for a baby whose father was deported and whose mother was recently diagnosed with cancer.

Her two teenage sons, Ben and Sam, also have traveled to Minneapolis in the aftermath of the killing of Renee Good to document ICE actions.

“They are actually doing everything…