“I’m not a criminal!” Mexican TikToker shouts as he’s arrested by ICE in Chicago

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Kevin Ledezma (aka Isaac) has been detained by ICE.

The young man in his twenties, with a revolutionary spirit and a drive to seek justice for immigrants, was arrested by federal agents on September 24th in the city of Chicago. He had moved there after the Trump Administration began immigration raids in that city. His goal was to do the same work he had been doing in Los Angeles—his place of residence—confront ICE, expose the abuses committed by its agents, and organize donations to help the immigrant community.

In posts on his TikTok account, Kevin documented the work he was doing and the confrontations he had at immigrant detention centers.

Outspoken and fearless, this 21-year-old didn’t back down in front of the feared agents and would stand before them saying he wasn’t afraid. “Come for me, I’m right here,” you can hear him say shortly before his arrest.

The moment of his arrest was recorded by fellow TikTokers. In the video, he is seen in handcuffs and you can hear him shouting: “I’m not a criminal, call my lawyer… I’m not a criminal,” he says, walking with dignity between two agents.

His arrest has sparked a major mobilization among communities in both Los Angeles and Chicago, as well as from TikTokers across the country. A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to raise funds for legal expenses and efforts to prevent him from being deported to Mexico or another country.

His activism has drawn widespread attention on social media, earning him an audience of over 100,000 followers. His posts not only expose injustice but also help organize donation drives for families in both the U.S. and Mexico. Alongside other influencers, he has helped raise significant donations for hundreds of families, reaching millions of people.

“In this fight, if we stay united, we can win. That’s my motto: ‘Latinos united will never be defeated.’ The problem is that many in the Latino community don’t support us—they attack us instead of helping. There are these MEGA Latinos who infiltrate our marches and report other Latinos. I’m sure ICE watches me—they know who I am. They don’t like the news I share on my socials. But they won’t silence me,” said the young man from Yahualica, Jalisco, in a previous interview with Parriva.

“I asked myself what I would do under all this pressure. Then the raids started. I grabbed my camera and went to one. I went super viral. Witnessing what ICE does outrages me—they don’t respect people’s rights. Overnight, I went viral. People started contacting and following me. From just a few followers, it turned into hundreds, then thousands,” he added.

Kevin believes that this generation of TikTokers is essential to the immigrant rights movement. They take to the streets in defense of their ancestors.

“We’re not the ‘crystal generation,’ we’re the ‘diamond generation’—we live with more passion. Personally, I can’t be a coward right now. I could leave the country—but I won’t. I’ve been tear-gassed, attacked, but I won’t be defeated.”

As of now, it has been impossible to determine where he is being held or his current status in the detention center. His name does not appear in the online ICE database.

Kevin, or Isaac, created a group called Las Aguilitas, which engages in ongoing activism to locate ICE detainees and support their affected families. Members of Las Aguilitas have been posting urgent messages on TikTok in recent days, demanding the young Mexican be released.

Here is his GoFundMe link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/libertad-para-isaacactivista-detenido-por-inmigracion