(CHICAGO) Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers condemned the recent ICE mass arrests in Chicago on Sunday, calling the scenes “just awful” and “not what we’re about” as a country. Speaking before his team’s game against the Bulls on October 12, 2025, Rivers described watching people zip-tied and detained in large groups and said the actions run counter to American values he grew up with in his hometown.
Rivers, a Chicago native, spoke with visible frustration about the impact on families and neighborhoods. He invoked his father’s service in law enforcement, saying, “My dad was a [Maywood] cop for Christ’s sakes. My dad would not be proud of this. I know that. My dad would have a major problem.” He added that he could not imagine his father “wanting to go to work” if it meant protecting federal agents carrying out such arrests.
The comments came amid what community groups describe as a tense weeks-long enforcement push. Since early September 2025, ICE has carried out mass arrests across Chicago as part of a large-scale deportation effort directed by President Trump, according to local advocates and court filings cited by protesters. Rivers said the scale and tone of the operation felt divisive, warning that “this is starting to separate us all,” and urging people to reject a false choice between backing civil rights and being labeled anti-anyone.
He said he hopes the public response would be the same regardless of who is targeted. “I would hope that if this was Ukrainian immigrants being detained that everyone on both races would fight for it,” Rivers said. “That’s wrong. It’s just wrong.”
Rivers’ remarks and community response
Rivers’ criticism comes as protests intensify, especially around the ICE processing center in Broadview, a suburb west of the city. Demonstrators have clashed at times with ICE agents, National Guard, and police, escalating tensions in an area long known for early-morning deportation staging.
Organizers describe fear and confusion among residents and visitors alike, while local businesses report uncertainty as workers stay home. According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, rallies have grown in size over recent weeks, with faith leaders, students, and labor groups joining immigrant families outside the Broadview facility.
- Marches have moved into downtown, bringing signs, drumming, and chants to federal buildings and city streets.
- Some protest leaders say they plan to continue daily gatherings until the arrests slow and clearer rules are in place.
- Local groups are raising funds for bond and legal help.
Rivers said he spoke with out-of-town marathon visitors who were surprised by the city’s calm despite alarming national coverage. He cautioned, however, that the situation feels close to boiling over.
“There must be a resolution. Protesting is a legal right. People should be able to voice their dissent, but it seems to be escalating into violence in certain ways. I don’t know. Antifa? Does anyone really understand what that is? … It’s just becoming unbearable.”
The coach’s words echo those of local civic leaders who argue the current approach lacks transparency and undermines trust. Families in mixed-status households describe staying indoors, skipping school drop-offs, or altering morning routines around rumored operation times. Lawyers warn that hurried encounters can lead to wrongful detentions, especially if people cannot immediately present documents or contact counsel.
Legal backdrop and what residents should know
The enforcement push has unfolded alongside fast-moving legal developments:
- A federal judge recently extended a consent decree that limits ICE’s ability to arrest people without warrants or probable cause, according to attorneys involved in related litigation.
- Advocates say the decree has slowed some street-level actions and created a basis for challenging questionable stops.
- The Defense Department attempted to deploy 500 National Guard soldiers to assist ICE in Chicago — 200 from Texas and 300 from Illinois — but the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily blocked the deployment.
- That pause does not halt ICE’s operations but changes the posture of local enforcement and narrows the presence of uniformed personnel around sensitive sites, including schools, clinics, and community centers.
Chicago’s mayor and aldermen have faced pressure from both sides: residents calling for stronger local limits on cooperation with federal agents and others urging more coordination to avoid street confrontations. For people living in areas of heavy enforcement, the result has been a patchwork of messages and a steady stream of rumors about checkpoints and sweeps. Community hotlines report spikes in calls seeking basic information about what to do if a family member is detained.
Rivers’ plea focused less on policy details and more on the human toll.
“This is not the essence of this nation. This is not what we’re about.”
He urged unity, saying people can support “what’s right” without being painted as against any group. His stance places a high-profile sports figure in the middle of a debate that often unfolds in courtrooms and council chambers, bringing national attention to local streets where parents, children, and workers are making hard choices each day.
Reactions, risks, and official resources
As the Bucks prepared to tip off, Rivers’ remarks rippled beyond basketball. Civil rights lawyers praised his willingness to speak plainly about the images he has seen—people zip-tied, transported in groups, and separated from their households.
Some law enforcement veterans pushed back, noting that officers are following orders and that large operations, by their nature, involve restraints and transport units. Even among those voices, though, there is concern about scale and methods, and the risk of error when actions move quickly.
For official information about ICE’s enforcement programs and detention process, readers can review the agency’s page for ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations. While that site reflects the federal perspective, it provides a window into how arrests are processed and what happens next once someone is in custody.
What’s next and final takeaways
Rivers ended his comments by calling for peaceful protest and a clear path forward. He said the city should protect the right to speak out while steering away from violence, and he asked leaders at every level to find a solution that lowers the temperature.
“There must be a resolution.”
Organizers are planning additional gatherings near Broadview and downtown federal buildings. Local groups continue to raise funds for bond and legal help. Families across the city are weighing daily choices — whether to go to work, send kids to school, or visit relatives — against the risk of being swept up in another round of arrests.
In the end, Rivers’ message was simple and direct: mass sweeps are tearing at the city he calls home. To him, the images of people zip-tied on sidewalks and loaded into vehicles do not reflect the Chicago he grew up in, or the country he believes in. Whether that view shifts policies remains uncertain, but his voice adds a new layer to a debate that shows no sign of fading in Chicago.
This Article in a Nutshell
Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers publicly condemned ICE’s mass arrests in Chicago on October 12, 2025, describing scenes of people being zip-tied and detained as contrary to American values. Rivers, a Chicago native whose father served in local law enforcement, expressed concern for families and neighborhoods affected by a deportation push that began in early September 2025. The operations have sparked growing protests concentrated around the Broadview processing center and downtown, with organizers planning continued gatherings and raising funds for bond and legal help. Legal actions include an extended consent decree limiting warrantless arrests and a temporary Seventh Circuit block on deploying 500 National Guard troops. Rivers urged peaceful protest, unity across communities, and clearer policy solutions to ease fear and restore trust.
