‘They are literally targeting people.’ ICE comes to southern Illinois

Man detained at Spanish-speaking traffic court in Clinton County is a first in the area. 

by Beth Hundsdorfer, Capitol News Illinois and Janelle O'Dea October 31, 2025October 31, 2025

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‘They are literally targeting people.’ ICE comes to southern Illinois

by Beth Hundsdorfer, Capitol News Illinois and Janelle O'Dea, Illinois Answers Project
October 31, 2025

<h1> ‘They are literally targeting people.’ ICE comes to southern Illinois </h1>
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Jose Jeronimo Guardian, 48, was detained for deportation at the Clinton County Courthouse, 850 Fairfax St., in Carlyle, Illinois, on Monday, October 27, 2025. Men who arrested Guardian declined to identify themselves and took him out of the courthouse in handcuffs to an unmarked Dodge Durango. Guardian is undocumented and was attempting to go to a court date for charges unrelated to his immigration status. Credit: Janelle O’Dea, Illinois Answers Project

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Tagged: Immigration

Beth Hundsdorfer, Capitol News Illinois

Beth Hundsdorfer is an investigative reporter for Capitol News Illinois.

More by Beth Hundsdorfer, Capitol News Illinois

Janelle O'DeaState Investigative Reporter

jodea@bettergov.org

Janelle O’Dea is based in St. Louis as an investigative reporter with the Illinois Answers Project State Investigations Team. Her beat covers Southern Illinois and the Metro East. Before joining the Illinois Answers Project, she worked in Colorado, Florida, at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and at the Center for Public Integrity. She is a graduate of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and grew up in central Illinois.

More by Janelle O'Dea