New York: An Indian-American employee working with the Illinois department of transportation was detained and questioned about his immigration status while on duty at a construction site in Park Ridge. According to Governor JB Pritzker's office, the US citizen was also asked about Zohran Mamdani, the incoming mayor of New York City. Officials raised concerns that the incident pointed towards racial profiling. The employee was engaged in work on the Busse Highway resurfacing project when three masked individuals allegedly approached him. They enquired about his immigration documents, whether he had travelled to New York recently, and if he knew about Mamdani's mayoral victory, before leaving the construction site. Governor Pritzker strongly condemned the federal action, terming it an instance of authorities questioning American citizens "apparently on the basis of their skin colour." In his statement, he said, "I am appalled they would stop and question a state employee working hard on the job to help improve our state's roads and infrastructure. Our state employees should be able to go to work and do their jobs without masked agents targeting them for no legitimate reason."

The Department of Homeland Security later clarified that the individuals involved were not from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement or US Customs and Border Protection. The incident sparked concern among Park Ridge residents. Local schools instructed students and teachers to remain indoors following reports of federal agents in the area, WGN reported. Ben Collins, Superintendent of Park Ridge-Niles School District 64, confirmed he was aware of reports regarding federal immigration agents near some district schools. The episode comes amid months of heightened federal immigration activity under the Trump administration's strict crackdown. The Republican government had sought to deploy the National Guard in Chicago as part of a broader immigration enforcement drive dubbed "Operation Midway Blitz." Illinois officials challenged the move as unconstitutional, and a federal appeals court blocked the deployment last month.

Tensions Escalate Between Trump and Zohran 

Following Zohran Mamdani's victory, tensions have escalated between President Donald Trump and the New York City mayor-elect. Trump warned that the 34-year-old Democrat must build a“new understanding” with Washington or risk facing setbacks. Speaking to Fox News, Trump appeared to temper his remarks slightly, saying he wanted Mamdani“to do well” because he“loved New York,” but repeated his earlier description of the incoming mayor as a“communist.” Referring to Mamdani's victory speech, Trump called it“a very angry speech” and urged Zohran to maintain a positive working relationship with the President. During his speech, Mamdani directly addressed Trump, saying,“To get to any of us, you will have to get through all of us,” and adding,“I have four words for him: Turn the volume up.”

Mamdani's win came in a record-breaking election, with more than two million New Yorkers casting their votes. The Democrat defeated independent candidate and former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who was backed by Trump and Elon Musk, as well as Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa. His victory marked a major boost for Democrats ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

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