All Posts By

Tara Mobasher

A group of audience members watch carefully as video footage shows footage of ICE officers interacting with protesters during a hearing.Camilla Forte/Borderless Magazine/Catchlight Local/Report for America
Illinois Accountability Commission Holds Final Hearings on Misconduct During Operation Midway Blitz Enforcement and CourtsImmigration PolicyLatestTop Stories

Illinois Accountability Commission Holds Final Hearings on Misconduct During Operation Midway Blitz

Since October, the commission has interviewed over 60 witnesses and analyzed nearly 100 hours of body-camera footage from federal agents involved in Midway Blitz.
April 28, 2026
Photo illustration by Max Herman/Borderless Magazine. Source images: Zoonar/Morozova Tatiana/Alamy and State of Illinois
Illinois Families, Child Care Providers on Edge Following Trump Funding Freeze FeaturedImmigration PolicyLatest

Illinois Families, Child Care Providers on Edge Following Trump Funding Freeze

While the funds have not been permanently cut, advocates say the impact is threatening Illinois families, creating uncertainty for the future of some immigrant-run child care facilities.
February 26, 2026
Camilla Forte/Borderless Magazine/Catchlight Local/Report for America
New SNAP Eligibility Changes Could Leave Thousands of Immigrants, Refugees Without Food Assistance Immigration PolicyLatest

New SNAP Eligibility Changes Could Leave Thousands of Immigrants, Refugees Without Food Assistance

Officials are working to connect individuals with food assistance as over 340,000 Illinois residents — including 14,000 legally present immigrants with humanitarian protections — could lose SNAP benefits amid new eligibility changes.
February 2, 2026
Photo illustration by Max Herman/Borderless Magazine
ICE Can Access Your Social Media. Here’s What To Know FeaturedImmigration PolicyLatestStaff PickTop Stories

ICE Can Access Your Social Media. Here’s What To Know

Federal agencies are working to expand social media surveillance as part of Trump’s immigration efforts. Borderless Magazine spoke with experts to explain what information the government is monitoring and how to protect your identity on social media.
January 8, 2026
Jorge Mújica Murias, an organizer with Arise Chicago, stands in the front of a small meeting room as he walks small business owners through role play-scenarios to prepare them in case they encounter ICE officers on Oct. 21, 2025.Camilla Forte/Borderless Magazine/Catchlight Local/Report for America
What Can Chicago’s Small Businesses Do if ICE Is at Their Door? Immigration PolicyLabor and EconomicsResources

What Can Chicago’s Small Businesses Do if ICE Is at Their Door?

The Trump administration’s immigration crackdown has small business owners and their employees navigating uncertainty amid safety concerns and staffing shortages. Borderless Magazine compiled a guide on what to do if ICE appears at your workplace.
November 18, 2025
Camilla Forte/Borderless Magazine/Catchlight Local/Report for America and courtesy
‘It’s Shameful and Embarrassing’: Chicago Daycare Worker Arrest Leaves Families on Edge FeaturedImmigration Policy

‘It’s Shameful and Embarrassing’: Chicago Daycare Worker Arrest Leaves Families on Edge

After ICE agents followed and detained a daycare worker on Chicago’s North Side, parents are questioning whether schools and childcare centers are safe from immigration enforcement.
November 13, 2025
Max Herman/Borderless Magazine. Screenshots from video courtesy of Illinois State Rep. Hoan
‘We Should Be Able To Live In Peace’: ICE Allegedly Pulls Gun On State Rep. Hoan Huynh Immigration Policy

‘We Should Be Able To Live In Peace’: ICE Allegedly Pulls Gun On State Rep. Hoan Huynh

In the latest incident in a string of aggressive immigration enforcement, Illinois State Rep. Hoan Huynh alleged that federal agents pointed a gun at him and a staffer in Chicago’s North Side while they were warning the community of ICE presence.
, and October 22, 2025
Daniel Powell/ZUMA Press Wire/Alamy and Camilla Forte/Borderless Magazine/Catchlight Local/Report for America
From Pepper Spray to Tear Gas: Here’s How to Spot the Difference When They’re Dispersed Immigration PolicyResources

From Pepper Spray to Tear Gas: Here’s How to Spot the Difference When They’re Dispersed

Amid frequent escalating protests and aggressive tactics by federal agents, Borderless compiled a guide to understand what substances agents are using — and how to stay protected in case of potential exposure.
October 17, 2025
Federal agents wearing gas masks and fatigues walk through tear gas pointing the direction they are commanding protestors to go.Dave Decker/ZUMA Press Wire/Alamy
Chicago Officials, Community Leaders Push Back Against ICE’s Aggressive Tactics: ‘This Is About Control’ Enforcement and CourtsImmigration Policy

Chicago Officials, Community Leaders Push Back Against ICE’s Aggressive Tactics: ‘This Is About Control’

One month since the launch of “Operation Midway Blitz,” Illinois officials and activists are taking action against ICE enforcement tactics and the deployment of the National Guard.
October 7, 2025
Camilla Forte/Borderless Magazine/Catchlight Local/Report for America
Meet the Chicago Women on the Frontlines Helping Immigrants Access Health Care on the Southwest Side Environment and HealthTrending

Meet the Chicago Women on the Frontlines Helping Immigrants Access Health Care on the Southwest Side

As thousands of immigrants lost access to state-funded health care, these community health workers are making sure Little Village residents’ medical needs are met.
and September 11, 2025
Photo illustration by Max Herman/Borderless Magazine. Photos by Max Herman and Camilla Forte/Borderless Magazine
Gov. J.B. Pritzker Condemns Trump’s Threats of Deploying National Guard to Chicago EducationOrganizingTrending

Gov. J.B. Pritzker Condemns Trump’s Threats of Deploying National Guard to Chicago

The federal government has previously used the National Guard dozens of times for conflicts, and hundreds more for local crises and national emergencies. Illinois leaders say Trump’s plans to deploy the National Guard to Chicago are “unwarranted.”
August 29, 2025
Nathan Howard/Sipa USA/Alamy Live News
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker Defends Sanctuary Policies in Congressional Hearing, Claims ‘Abuse of Power’ Immigration Policy

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker Defends Sanctuary Policies in Congressional Hearing, Claims ‘Abuse of Power’

Pritzker defended the safety and security of sanctuary policies at the House Oversight Committee, while calling Trump’s use of the National Guard to quell Los Angeles protests an “abuse of power.”
June 12, 2025
Camilla Forte/Borderless Magazine
Pritzker’s Proposed Budget Will Take Away Health Coverage From Some Immigrants Without Legal Status Environment and Health

Pritzker’s Proposed Budget Will Take Away Health Coverage From Some Immigrants Without Legal Status

Earlier this year, Gov. J.B. Pritzker unveiled his proposed $55.2 billion budget for 2026. The plan would eliminate funding for the Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults program, which provides healthcare to undocumented immigrants between the ages of 42 and 64.
April 9, 2025
Photo illustration by Max Herman/Borderless Magazine; screenshot of Hatice Özge Akbudak from video by Tara Mobasher; additional screenshots from Akbudak’s social media.
Turkish Influencer Shares Vibrant Culture with Chicago Arts & Culture

Turkish Influencer Shares Vibrant Culture with Chicago

When much of the world was locked down in early 2020, Hatice Özge Akbudak started documenting her journey in America. Now, she has a dedicated following as she elevates her culture and explores Chicago.
October 8, 2024