Politics

Chicago Immigrant Advocates Demand End to ‘Deceptive’ ICE Raids, Reminds Communities to Know Their Rights

Members of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights gathered in support of immigrants and to denounce the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the state, during a Thursday news conference.

The gathering came as Gov. JB Pritzker defended state policies around protections for undocumented immigrants Thursday at a U.S. House Oversight Committee hearing in D.C. It also comes ahead of more ICE protests in Chicago as the city braces for potential federal immigration raids by ICE tactical units this week.

“As news spreads about militarized ICE teams carrying out Trump’s agenda of hate on the streets of Chicago, so too does the fear among our community members,” ICIRR Executive Director Lawrence Benito said during the Thursday news conference.

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s chief of staff Cristina Pacione-Zayas said during a Wednesday news briefing the mayor’s office has received word that federal immigration agents have been told to be ready to deploy, with ICE tactical units expected to target workplaces in Chicago this week.

“There will be tactical teams, mini-tanks, there will be other tools they use in which they plan to do raids, as we saw in Los Angeles,” Pacione-Zayas said during the Wednesday briefing.

Warehouse Workers For Justice Executive Director Marcos Ceniceros said his organization is preparing for workplace raids across the Chicago region.

Ceniceros said he hears from workers who are scared to drive to work, drop off their kids at school, go to church, or speak up when they witness or experience exploitative practices while on the job.

“We want all immigrant workers to know that you have rights,” Ceniceros said. “You have the right not to answer questions about your immigration status, and you have the right to organize and stand up for better working conditions regardless of where you are born.”

Last week, federal immigration agents detained immigrants outside an ICE office in Chicago, which led immigrant advocates and local elected officials to face-off with federal agents.

Antonio Gutierrez, co-founder of Organized Communities Against Deportations, called for the release of Chicago resident and mother Gladis Yolanda Chavez Pineda, who was one of those detained last week at an ICE check-in. Gutierrez said he received word that Chavez Pineda has since been transferred to a county jail in Kentucky.

Immigrant advocates described ICE’s tactics as “cruel” and “deceptive.”

“We know who keeps us safe, and that is us,” Brighton Park Neighborhood Council Director of Organizing Andrea Ortiz said. “That’s why we’ve been canvassing our community. That’s why we’ve been talking to our neighbors.”

ICIRR hosts “Know Your Rights” trainings for community members and offers a hotline to report ICE activity.

Organizers with ICIRR and Indivisible Chicago were scheduled to host a rally, “Ice Out Of Illinois, Ice Out Of Everywhere” at 4 p.m. at Ida B. Wells Drive & Michigan Avenue.

Contact Eunice Alpasan: [email protected]

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