Bucks' Doc Rivers Makes Clear Statement on ICE Activity in Chicago

Oct 12, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers directs the team against the Chicago Bulls during the second half at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

As he returns home for the first time since President Donald Trump and the Department of Homeland Security's "Midway Blitz" operation in Chicago, Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers made his opinion on the matter clear.

Seeing over 1,500 individual (although this number might be a false claim) arrests by ICE officials, often without warrants or probable cause, has rubbed the Chicago native the wrong way.

“It bothers me,” Rivers, who grew up in Chicago, told reporters ahead of the Bucks' third preseason game on Sunday. “I’m trying, I’m trying; I mean, it’s just awful what you watch and see, people getting zip tied. I mean, that’s not this country. That’s not what we’re about.”

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Rivers had alluded to the ICE activity in his hometown in the days leading up to Sunday's game against the Bulls, but it wasn't until he was in Chicago that he gave significant attention to the subject.

“I think the mayor’s done an amazing job with everything he says,” Rivers said. “You know, I think this is starting to separate us all, which I hate. This is not; you can be pro-civil rights or what’s right and not be, like, anti-White. And I think that’s what it’s starting to become in some ways. And it shouldn’t be. It really shouldn’t be. I would hope that if this was Ukrainian immigrants being detained, that everyone on both races would fight for it. That’s wrong. It’s just wrong.”

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Since early September, ICE has been conducting mass arrests across the city as part of a large-scale deportation effort at the direction of Trump. These actions have taken place in spite of a federal judge limiting the ability of ICE agents to arrest without warrants or probable cause.

For Rivers, whose father was a police officer for 30 years in the Chicago area, the developments have been beyond disappointing.

“I think every American is good with, if there’s criminals on the street, we want to arrest the criminals,” Rivers said. “My dad was a cop for Christ’s sakes. My dad would not be proud of this. I know that. My dad would have a major problem; I couldn’t imagine my dad going to work right now and have to protect ICE agents and doing what they’re doing. I couldn’t imagine him wanting to go to work. I think he’d call in sick. And it’s just so — did you walk around the city today? This is an amazing city.”

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