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The Guardian: How can US cities resist Trump's mass deportation agenda? Look to Chicago
https://archive.ph/6YSfuhttps://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/09/chicago-immigrants-trump-mass-deportation
The Rev Emma Lozano holds up a card showing the legal rights immigrants should know during a virtual Spanish-language service at the Lincoln United Methodist church on 2 February in Chicago, Illinois.
Plastered across subways or advertised along local bus routes, the Know Your Rights campaign is a coordinated effort on the part of city officials and local immigration advocacy groups to alert individuals of their rights during interactions with Ice. The posters are evidence of Chicago’s activism, long history of protecting its rich immigrant communities and resistance to attempts by previous administrations to weaken their protections...Compared to other cities, Chicago is better situated than most to navigate Trump’s assault on immigration – a fact that Trump officials have pointed out...
As demand for services increases, volunteer interest has also surged, another tenet of Chicago’s activism culture. Volunteer interest in anti-deportation efforts has increased by 300% since 2024, Gutierrez noted: there are now more than 400 volunteers working in 27 neighborhood response groups. But there’s still “definitely a strong sense of fear” among immigrants in Chicago as Trump threatens to ramp up deportations, said Gutierrez. OCAD’s hotline, which handles calls for Ice sightings and other immigrant-related questions, has seen an increase from five calls a month last year to more than 100 each day in the weeks following Trump’s inauguration.
Now, the hotline averages about 50 calls per week. Beyond deportation, immigrants across ethnicities have expressed concern about Trump’s attacks on green card holders, birthright citizenship or overall delays in visas, several advocacy groups said.
Even with its robust organization efforts, Chicago immigrant advocacy groups have still faced considerable challenges. Conservative city council members attempted to change Chicago’s sanctuary city status in January, allowing police to collaborate with Ice in certain circumstances; Illinois Republican state legislators have tried to implement similar laws. Such attempts have failed....
As demand for services increases, volunteer interest has also surged, another tenet of Chicago’s activism culture. Volunteer interest in anti-deportation efforts has increased by 300% since 2024, Gutierrez noted: there are now more than 400 volunteers working in 27 neighborhood response groups. But there’s still “definitely a strong sense of fear” among immigrants in Chicago as Trump threatens to ramp up deportations, said Gutierrez. OCAD’s hotline, which handles calls for Ice sightings and other immigrant-related questions, has seen an increase from five calls a month last year to more than 100 each day in the weeks following Trump’s inauguration.
Now, the hotline averages about 50 calls per week. Beyond deportation, immigrants across ethnicities have expressed concern about Trump’s attacks on green card holders, birthright citizenship or overall delays in visas, several advocacy groups said.
Even with its robust organization efforts, Chicago immigrant advocacy groups have still faced considerable challenges. Conservative city council members attempted to change Chicago’s sanctuary city status in January, allowing police to collaborate with Ice in certain circumstances; Illinois Republican state legislators have tried to implement similar laws. Such attempts have failed....