“Rieles y Raíces: Traqueros in Chicago and the Midwest” takes a closer look at Mexican railroad workers and how the roots they planted still shape communities today.

Mayda Alexandra del Valle will serve a two-year term and receive $70,000 to commission new works and create public programming. As Chicago’s second poet laureate, del Valle will serve as an ambassador for the city’s literary and creative communities.

“The moment that the raids started happening and people started getting pulled off the street, you could just see it,” volunteer Alyssa May said. “You could see less students, less families, less vendors. And it really did change. It just became a really quiet place.”

“I thought after COVID, like, alright, we’re in the clear,” said Adrian Zamudio, owner of Angelo’s Stuffed Pizza in Archer Heights. “We don’t have to think of anything spontaneous or something to survive anymore. A couple years later, here we are again.”

The Trump administration says this move allows better vetting of those using work permits. However, some are skeptical of that reasoning.

El Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a tradition that dates back centuries. The Mexican holiday honors deceased loved ones by creating altars and sharing memories.

Luis Kevin Islas says lately the Rogers Park neighborhood is like a “ghost town.” In recent weeks, the area has seen an increase in federal immigration agents and raids.

“I love giving back, and the thing is, us pharmacists, we’re the most accessible health care provider in the community,” pharmacist Freddy Gomez said.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement strike teams are likely to begin operations around Chicago in the coming days, and local officials expect agents to target large gatherings like Sunday’s parade in Little Village and Saturday’s 26th Street Mexican Independence Day Parade in Pilsen.

Latin America is in the midst of a crucial election year in countries including Venezuela, whose ruling party claimed another win last month amid opposition boycotts. Advocates say last month’s results could further roil the country’s political landscape.

Writer and illustrator Jacqueline Alcántara draws from her own childhood to help kids navigate their diverse identities in her new book called “Tíos and Primos” — Spanish for “aunts, uncles and cousins.”

“It’s definitely a tradition we don’t want to lose but with this administration, it’s better to keep our people safe,” said Hector Escobar, president of Casa Puebla and the Cermak Road Chamber of Commerce.

Chicago police officers would not be banned from making traffic stops based on minor registration or equipment violations that are designed to fund evidence of “unrelated” crimes, under a new policy unveiled Thursday by Chicago Police Department leaders.

Glamorous Quinceañera dresses and an Indigenous ceremonial mask are among the items that will be on display in “Aquí en Chicago,” an upcoming Chicago History Museum exhibit celebrating the long history of Latinos in the city.

Privacy concerns for undocumented immigrants filing taxes. Meet the new 35th Ward alderperson. And inside a local organization helping teens tell their stories.

On Monday, alderpeople approved Anthony Quezada with a 32-11 vote as the new alderperson of the 35th Ward, despite some opposition from City Council members over an anti-Black slur he wrote on a social media post in 2014.