(NewsNation) — Tensions were rising in Chicago on Thursday after videos showing rideshare drivers being taken into custody by federal immigration officers went viral.
On Saturday, Border Patrol arrested 11 rideshare drivers at Chicago O’Hare International Airport, according to CBS News.
Gregory Bovino, the U.S. Border Patrol’s commander-at-large, confirmed the arrests in a social media post: “We arrested dozens of illegal alien ride share operators taking jobs from American citizens out there last week. More to come.”
According to the Department of Homeland Security, the drivers either had criminal histories, overstayed their visas or had a final order of removal from the country. The arrests have sparked pushback from Lori Simmons, lead organizer for the People’s Lobby, a nonprofit that represents rideshare drivers.
“These people are at work. It’s not like they came and got them from a robbery that they were committing,” Simmons told NewsNation. “They were sitting in a parking lot waiting to do their job.”
As a rideshare driver herself, Simmons said the arrests have made her wary about heading out to work every day.
“I mean, it’s really been a chilling effect on the community,” she said. “A lot of drivers are terrified to even leave the house. I mean, not alone. Just being attacked in the lot, but also, we’ve seen yesterday there were drivers that were actually pulled over and taken from their vehicles.”
Simmons said it would be difficult for agents to know exactly who they are targeting, as drivers cannot sign up for ridesharing services like Uber without documentation. However, she said a lack of regulation in the industry needs to be addressed.
“I think everybody should know who their driver is, and that is a policy that the rideshare companies could institute if they wanted to make some changes,” Simmons said. “I mean, if you want to think about, what is being undocumented? It’s not a criminal offense, it’s a civil offense. So, we’re basically hunting these people down, chasing them down in this parking lot for what is, like, a ticket. It’s unconscionable.”