Chicago's immigration crackdown aftermath leaves lawsuits, investigations and anxiety

For more than two months, the Chicago area was the focus of an aggressive immigration enforcement operation.

CHICAGO — Chicago has entered what many consider a new uneasy phase of a Trump administration immigration crackdown that has already led to thousands of arrests.

While a U.S. Border Patrol commander known for leading intense and controversial surges moved on to North Carolina, federal agents are still arresting immigrants across the nation's third-largest city and suburbs.

A growing number of lawsuits stemming from the crackdown are winding through the courts. Authorities are investigating agents' actions, including a fatal shooting. Activists say they are not letting their guard down in case things ramp up again, while many residents in the Democratic stronghold where few welcomed the crackdown remain anxious.

"I feel a sense of paranoia over when they might be back," said Santani Silva, an employee at a vintage store in the predominantly Mexican neighborhood of Pilsen. "People are still afraid."

Intensity slows, but arrests continue