A Venezuelan national arrested 16 times since his arrival in Chicago in late 2023 is now in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), authorities confirmed.
As reported by the Gateway Pundit, Josue Vargas Rodriguez, who entered the United States illegally and was first arrested shortly after arriving in October 2023, is now facing deportation under new federal enforcement directives.
Rodriguez’s repeated arrests over a short period highlighted what critics have called ongoing failures in local and federal immigration enforcement prior to the reinstatement of stricter border measures under President Donald Trump.
CWB Chicago first reported that Rodriguez had been arrested 13 times by February 2025, culminating in a guilty plea in a case involving an attempted robbery of a woman in the Streeterville neighborhood.
At that time, a Cook County judge placed him on probation and issued a warning: further criminal activity would render him eligible for deportation.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents apprehend an undocumented migrant they were surveilling in Herndon, Va., Jan. 15, 2025.
Despite the warning, Rodriguez was arrested again just three weeks later on February 27 for misdemeanor assault in the Loop area.
Chicago Police Department records indicate he was arrested once more on April 4 on felony drug charges in the 200 block of North Wells, and again on April 7 for jumping a turnstile at a CTA station.
Rodriguez’s history of arrests includes a mix of felony and misdemeanor charges. His detention comes shortly after President Trump signed the Laken Riley Act, named for a Georgia nursing student who was murdered by an illegal alien.
Santiago Josue Baragas Rodriguez, an illegal from Venezuela was arrested 13 times in Chicago.
Most of his charges were dropped by prosecutors.
He was just arrested again for attempted robbery. pic.twitter.com/RJ7Wm1gUyQ
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) February 9, 2025
The legislation mandates federal detention for illegal immigrants charged with serious crimes, including theft, burglary, assaulting law enforcement, and crimes resulting in serious injury or death.
According to CPD records, Rodriguez was frequently released from custody before facing trial, including after incidents involving narcotics, attempted robbery, and assault.
ICE confirmed this week that Rodriguez is now being held and will face deportation proceedings in accordance with federal immigration law.