Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers has publicly decried the activity of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in his hometown of Chicago.
A severe crackdown on immigration in the city has been underway for several weeks, with the operation being met with resistance by local civic groups and Democrats. That prompted President Donald Trump to deploy the national guard, authorising around 300 troops to protect federal officers and assets. Illinois governor, JB Pritzker, delivered a strongly-worded response in return, declaring the move 'absolutely outrageous' and 'un-American'.
Reports of raids across the state have been widespread, with some activists and residents claiming that ICE agents are using increasingly combative techniques in order to detain people.
Ahead of the Bucks' pre-season game against the Chicago Bulls, Rivers spoke to the media, and had an emotional plea over what was going on in the state.
Bucks' Head Coach Says ICE Activity 'Not This Country'
Bucks head coach Doc Rivers
The man who helped lead the Boston Celtics to an NBA title back in 2008, grew up in Maywood, which is situated just west of the city of Chicago, and would enjoy a fine school career at Proviso East High that saw him become a McDonald's All-American.
Rivers' brother, Grady Jr, still lives in Elmhurst, while his dad was a police officer in Maywood for 30 years - a fact that he admitted would have left his father shocked if he were to have seen what has been going on.
I think every American is good with, if there’s criminals on the street, we want to arrest the criminals. 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.
It bothers me. 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.
Rivers Questions Lack of Action Against Far-Right Group Proud Boys
Doc Rivers
Rivers also raised his concern that there are other groups like the Proud Boys who have seemingly avoided action, and labelled the whole situation as 'sickening'.
And it almost feels like it’s intentional, like they’re trying to create unrest. It wasn’t here, and now it’s here. I mean, protest is legal. You should be able to protest, and I think it’s being made violent in some ways, so I don’t know. Antifa? Does anyone know what that is? I actually looked today. I really did. I actually looked it up and there were 15 different answers for it. Yet we have all these other groups. The Proud Boys, no one’s going after (them). It’s just, this is getting sickening.
Rivers has been one of the more vocal head coaches in the NBA when it has come to civil rights issues in the USA, including taking quite an outspoken stance during the Black Lives Matter movement. Following the death of George Floyd in 2020, Rivers was one of the leading figures from the basketball world to speak out against police brutality at the time, advocating for social change and citing the need for police reform.
In response to current events in Chicago, the 64-year-old finished off his impassioned plea against ICE's activity in Chicago by declaring that the issue in and of itself should be more about the 'morality' of the country than it being about a division over race.
I’m going to say this the last time and then move back to basketball. This should be about the morality of our country and not about the race. This has nothing to do with Black and White. Black and White should be grabbing arms together on this one and fighting against this.
The Bucks open their 2025/2026 NBA regular season with a clash against the Washington Wizards at the Fiserv Forum, before taking on the Toronto Raptors and the Cleveland Cavaliers in a back-to-back.