Overview
- Federal agents detained Brayan Plata while he was working a landscaping job in Skokie, according to his wife’s account to school staff.
- The Department of Homeland Security’s online locator lists Plata in Michigan custody, and he has a Nov. 17 court hearing after being processed in Broadview, the Sun-Times reported.
- A DHS spokesperson told the Sun-Times Plata overstayed his visa and pointed to a voluntary departure program, while the Tribune said DHS did not provide on-the-record comment.
- Chappell Elementary staff and parents organized a GoFundMe and delivered groceries, diapers and other supplies to support the family.
- Educators and the family’s case manager warned the detention could interrupt the preschooler’s IEP-driven progress, as the arrest is viewed locally within the broader Operation Midway Blitz enforcement surge.