Staff Reporter
Rachel Cohen opens one of her latest TikTok videos with a startling invitation:
“Come with me to get arrested outside 1930 Beach Street in Broadview.”
The short clip places her outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in suburban Broadview, where protesters watched vans fill with people being taken away.
For Cohen, the sound of chains scraping the pavement as detainees were led away is unforgettable. That moment — and many others like it — has now become central to her viral online campaign as Chicago braces for what could be the most aggressive immigration enforcement action in years.
Her TikTok videos, part tutorial and part rallying cry, are gaining tens of thousands of views. The timing is no coincidence: the Trump administration is preparing to send more than 200 federal agents into the city, with officials warning that raids could begin within days.
📌 Story Highlights
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Rachel Cohen, Harvard Law graduate, left Skadden law firm in protest of Trump’s legal deals.
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TikTok videos go viral, showing Chicagoans how to resist ICE raids and support detainees.
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ICE raids Chicago expected to begin soon with more than 200 federal agents.
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Gov. JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson vow no cooperation with ICE enforcement.
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Fear spreads as festivals canceled, courthouse arrests spark unease in immigrant communities.
From Skadden to Street Protests
Cohen, originally from Ohio, graduated from Harvard Law School in 2022. Not long after, she joined the high-profile firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. But when the firm pledged millions in free legal services to causes backed by Trump, she walked away.
“As soon as the first firm offered what I would consider hush money to the Trump administration to get an order withdrawn, I resigned,” she explained in an interview with Block Club Chicago.
That public resignation letter, posted on LinkedIn, quickly went viral. She later circulated an open letter with other associates criticizing top firms for staying silent while Trump attacked them.
Instead of jumping back into corporate law, Cohen shifted gears. She took contract jobs, spoke at law schools and conferences, and devoted more time to activism.
“When I came back to Chicago, I told my best friend I wanted to spend the summer plugged into mutual aid and organizing,” she said.
Turning TikTok Into a Resistance Guide
Her new platform is unconventional: TikTok. But Cohen uses it strategically, producing videos that function as step-by-step guides for Chicagoans wondering how to resist ICE raids.
Instead of the familiar social media trend of “get ready with me for work,” her tagline is different:
“Come with me to get arrested.”
In one video, she walks viewers through ICE Court Watch in Chicago, showing them how to observe hearings at the ICE Field Office and Immigration Court, take notes, and report sightings of agents to community organizers.
In another, she recounts being arrested after blocking a deportation van in Broadview. She explains in plain terms what happens during an arrest, how risks differ depending on whether protesters are on city or federal property, and how groups like the National Lawyers Guild provide legal support.
Cohen is also clear about privilege.
“My best friend Andrea and I look a lot like early 30s, white, former sorority girls — because we are,” she said. “I’m better equipped to take that risk as a Harvard Law-educated, well-connected, visible white woman. But it’s still a risk to pull the curtain back on these processes.”
She emphasizes that not everyone needs to get arrested to contribute.
“Other people aren’t always able to do that because of the risks,” Cohen said. “Maybe they’re in mixed-status families, maybe they’re not white, maybe they can’t risk arrest. That doesn’t mean they can’t be part of this work.”
Chicago on Edge as Federal Agents Prepare Raids
Cohen’s videos are going viral at the same moment officials brace for the arrival of more than 200 federal immigration agents. Broadview’s detention facility is expected to serve as a central hub. Troops and agents are also slated for Great Lakes Naval Base in North Chicago.
Gov. JB Pritzker has warned that agents will be fully assembled by week’s end, though the exact start date of enforcement actions remains unclear.
“Chicago police will not cooperate with ICE,” Pritzker said, a promise echoed by Mayor Brandon Johnson.
Still, unease is spreading quickly.
This week, ICE agents were spotted at Cook County’s domestic violence courthouse, where two people were detained. Organizers of El Grito Chicago — a major Mexican Independence Day festival — canceled their event, citing the threat of raids. In Little Village, leaders of the 26th Street parade are considering whether to proceed.
A Community Looking for Direction
For many Chicagoans, the question is simple: what can we do? Cohen’s answer is equally direct.
“The easiest way is to show up,” she said. “The biggest barrier is just knowing where to start. Once you meet a few people, you realize you’re not powerless.”
She points to the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, which runs a hotline and needs volunteers, many of whom can contribute remotely. She also highlights Chicago Community Jail Support as an entry point for those who want to engage in mutual aid without the risk of arrest.
Cohen’s TikTok series, blending activism with accessibility, has become a tool for mobilizing a city at a crossroads. As ICE raids in Chicago approach, her message continues to spread: there are ways for everyone — from frontline protesters to behind-the-scenes supporters — to take part.
As federal agents prepare to launch ICE raids in Chicago, the city stands divided between fear and resistance. For Rachel Cohen, the fight is not only about opposing detention vans or courtroom arrests — it is about showing ordinary people that they have a role to play. Her TikTok videos, blending activism with practical guidance, are helping Chicagoans navigate a moment of uncertainty with concrete steps to support immigrant neighbors. Whether through direct protest, legal observation, or mutual aid, Cohen’s message is clear: in the face of sweeping enforcement, community action can create strength where fear once lived.
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