President Donald Trump directed the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to move forward with targeted immigration raids this weekend in a handful of U.S. cities, including Chicago.
Latino Caucus members are proactively communicating with constituents about their rights and urging Mayor Lori Lightfoot to help amplify communication to ensure that the people who call Chicago home know about the support available to them. Caucus members also plan to share the attached guidance for elected officials with their City Council colleagues and the mayor's team.
While it's unclear which specific neighborhoods ICE plans to target or the number of immigrants to be targeted in these operations, it is important that the immigrant community, businesses and all of Chicago are prepared and well-informed in anticipation of any potential scenario.
Know your rights.
Do not panic. ICE raids are unfortunately not new but because they're not new our communities have experienced organizations prepared to respond quickly and assist families.
If you are witness to, or are victims of a raid, call ICIRR's family support hotline ((855) HELP-MY-FAMILY // (855) 435-7693) or your local alderman's office.
The Latino Caucus is coordinating with the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR), and the aldermen that make up the caucus have asked the Chicago Police Department and ICIRR to report any local raids as they happen this weekend.
"Our city must strengthen the Welcoming City Ordinance so that Chicago is a safe haven for the people who work and live here, and the Latino Caucus is committed to making sure this happens," Alderman Gilbert Villegas said. "The unity of our city is stronger than the hate being forced on us from Washington D.C."
"More than anything, we need our immigrant community to understand that they are not alone," said 25th Ward Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez, an officer of the City Council's Latino Caucus and an immigrant himself. "The Latino Caucus is united in doing everything we can to protect the rights of the people who have made their home in Chicago. This scare tactic, a political distraction from a President who favors hate over unity, will not break the commitment we have for the people we represent.
"In addition to making sure our immigrant communities know their rights, our businesses must also prepare," Sigcho-Lopez said. "ICE cannot enter a business without a signed judicial warrant."
Sigcho-Lopez and his team will staff his Pilsen ward office additional hours this weekend and have 'Know Your Rights' resources available in Spanish, English and Mandarin. Alderwoman Rossana Rodriguez and Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa will host a Know Your Rights Canvass in Albany Park this Saturday, June 22 at 10 a.m. The Aldermen are welcoming volunteers to distribute know your rights information to their neighbors so people who don't feel comfortable leaving can become fully aware of their rights within the security of their own homes. Those interested in volunteering on the southwest side should email inquiries@25thward.org, and those interested in volunteering on the north side should email anthony@aldermancarlosrosa.org .
—From a press release
