Protests planned ahead of expected ICE raids in Chicago
Protests planned ahead of expected ICE raids in Chicago
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The threat of immigration raids looms over Chicago, with an enforcement operation expected to start Sunday.
By Diane Pathieu
Updated an hour agoCHICAGO (WLS) -- The threat of immigration raids looms over Chicago, with an enforcement operation expected to start Sunday.
Officials across the city are speaking out, telling residents Chicago will not cooperate with ICE raids.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot has already announced the city will not cooperate with any ICE raids and Governor JB Pritzker said the state will also not coordinate in any way with federal immigration officials.
Community organizations are briefing residents across the area in churches, schools and other places about their legal rights and how to handle ICE encounters.
"Please remember that you are not alone, you have all of us, a community of allies and networks that are here to support you," said Evelyn Venegas Cuzco of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. "Please don't forget that you are not alone."
Local immigration rights groups said they have received credible information that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids will in fact go down early Sunday morning.
LULAC National Immigration Committee along with the Lake County Immigrant Advocacy said they are opening a command center with on-site support in Waukegan to help family members impacted by the ICE raids in any way they can.
Groups are concerned these raids will deeply harm these families especially those with young children.
"Unfortunately it is a very traumatizing experience. That's unfortunately how immigration acts, they don't see immigrants as humans and so they try to violate their rights. Sometimes it's difficult to remember we do have rights. We do have the right to remain silent. We are able to not sign anything and we are able to resist," said the Resurrection Project immigration organizer Laura Mendoza.
Some residents are planning to protest the ICE raids Saturday morning at Daley Plaza.
Senator Dick Durbin plans to hold a press conference to address the possible raids this weekend and the separation of families.
The raids could happen as soon as this weekend after being postponed by President Donald Trump late last month. It would pursue people with final deportation orders, including families whose immigration cases were fast-tracked by judges in 10 major cities such as Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Miami.
ICE has issued a statement that it won't comment on details of "enforcement operations," and the White House has declined comment to ABC News.
Meanwhile, hundreds of demonstrations are planned in protest of the treatment of migrants at detention centers. They're being called Lights For Liberty rallies and will take place here in Chicago and several other cities around the country.
Organizers want major changes made to the conditions at the migrant facilities.
https://abc7chicago.com/protests-pla...icago/5390728/
