As the Chicago area girds for federal immigration raids, some communities are publicly supporting local immigrants and trying to relieve growing anxiety.
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As the Chicago area girds for federal immigration raids, some communities are trying to relieve local immigrants’ growing anxiety with public words of support.
Officials in Mundelein, North Chicago, Waukegan and other suburbs have issued statements emphasizing their law enforcement officers won’t participate in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activities.
They also stress that anyone living in the U.S. has legal rights regardless of citizenship status.
Abbie Illenberger, left, distributes a “Defend Your Rights Under the Threat of Occupation” flyer Friday in Chicago. Immigrants and their supporters in Chicago and the suburbs are preparing for federal raids.
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The Great Lakes Naval Station near North Chicago reportedly will be the staging ground for the immigration operations. Additionally, the base could house National Guard or active-duty service members if President Donald Trump makes good on his threat to send U.S. troops to the area, as he’s already done in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.
Gov. JB Pritzker, U.S. Sens. Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin, members of the Chicago-area congressional delegation and other elected officials have criticized the president’s tactics.
In a joint statement, Lake County and North Chicago officials acknowledge the threatened federal action is unsettling — and that, as Illinois law mandates, they won’t participate or assist.
“Our local resources remain focused on serving and protecting our residents,” the statement reads.
The statement goes on to encourage people in need of guidance or support to contact “trusted organizations,” including the North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic and the Mano-A-Mano Family Resource Center. It also suggests people familiarize themselves with their legal rights through resources available from those organizations and the Illinois attorney general’s office.
“You are not alone,” the statement concludes. “Your community stands with you and together we will navigate this moment with care, steadiness and resolve.”
Teachers hand out flyers about personal rights outside Nash Elementary School in Chicago on Friday. Immigrants and their supporters are preparing for federal raids in the Chicago area.
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Mundelein officials issued a similar statement Friday in English and Spanish.
Mundelein officials insist local police will not participate in any federal immigration activities. Officers who respond to calls stemming from anti-immigration operations will be limited to maintaining public safety and observation, the village’s statement reads.
Waukegan police won’t participate in immigration operations either, Mayor Sam Cunningham said in a public statement Friday.
Additionally, in apparent response to reports of ICE agents not wearing traditional uniforms or badges and covering their faces, Cunningham insisted Waukegan police won’t use masks to conceal their identities and will wear official uniforms with badges while on duty so they can be clearly identified.
While upcoming Mexican Independence Day events in North Chicago and Chicago have been postponed or called off because of the feared ICE raids, Aurora will celebrate Fiestas Patrias with a festival Saturday at Wilder Park and a parade Sunday.
Without mentioning the expected ICE activity, a statement published Friday on Aurora’s website says city employees — including police — are working to make sure the gatherings are “safe and enjoyable for all.”
The statement also says Aurora officials are committed to supporting the immigrant community and to ensuring all residents have equal access to city services and resources.
In a Facebook post earlier this summer, Hanover Park police announced they won’t participate in immigration enforcement activities or investigations, assist federal agents with immigration-related cases or detain people based solely on their immigration status. ICE agents won’t accompany Hanover Park police responding to 911 calls, either.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, center, speaks to the media Friday outside Nash Elementary School. Immigrants and their supporters are preparing for federal raids in Chicago and the suburbs.
AP
• Daily Herald staff writers Chris Gerke, Eric Peterson and Mick Zawislak contributed to this report.
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