CHICAGO (WLS) — There are growing concerns over possible mass deportations in the Chicago area as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office in a matter of days.
New reports from the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times cite multiple sources that say the incoming administration is planning a “large-scale immigration raid” in Chicago next week. ABC News has not yet independently confirmed that reporting.
The report comes amid rising concerns over the mass deportation plan that Trump’s border czar has promised to carry out. Tom Homan appearing on Fox News Friday night, saying there will be “a big raid all across the country.”
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According to the Wall Street Journal, the raid in Chicago is expected to begin Tuesday morning, one day after President-elect Trump’s inauguration. Their report added that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement will send as many as 200 officers to carry the raid out.
President-elect Trump’s campaign promise of mass deportations is what Homan is expected to fulfill, speaking just last month to a crowd of loyal Republicans in Chicago.
“All that starts January 21, and we’re going to start right here in Chicago, Illinois,” Homan said at the time.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the Trump administration will target undocumented immigrants with criminal backgrounds. Many of them have minor offenses, like driving violations.
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Concerns are now looming over the city’s Southwest Side. Those concerns range from the impact it may have on schools to how it could shut down food cart vendors.
In the heart of Little Village, there are many hearts filled with anxious anticipation of how their lives might change next week if the Trump administration sends ICE agents to Chicago, looking for undocumented immigrants to deport.
One food cart vender named Jerry, who was selling tamales Friday, was not worried for himself, but he is for his family and others in the community who depend on their small businesses to put food on their own table.
“I think a lot of food vendors are gonna get affected, like, because, like, a lot of people that are food vendors are undocumented,” Jerry said. “Like, I have papers, but my family doesn’t, is undocumented.”
READ MORE | Suburban school districts try to calm immigrant community’s fears of mass deportations
There are also concerns about whether some parents might keep their children home from school when classes resume next Wednesday.
With classes resuming next Wednesday, Chicago Public Schools has already promised that undocumented students will be protected. The Chicago Teachers Union also taking a stand.
“We know Homeland Security Agents will be sent here to strike fear in the hearts of our students and our families and we are not standing for it,” CTU Vice President Jackson Potter said.
CTU spoke out on migrant protections Friday.
No one is sure when or where ICE agents might show up, but many in communities like Little Village will remain very cautious and concerned.
One food cart vendor ABC7 spoke with remained anonymous because she’s undocumented. She and others believe the streets here could much less busy next week and beyond.
“The economy is going to go down, because there’s not a lot of people that are going to be coming out to buy our products,” she said. “And as well, we’re not going to come out because of the fear of the raids.”
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s office stood firm on his comments made last month.
“We have laws that protect people that are undocumented, migrants, and undocumented migrants,” Pritzker said at the time. “I am going to make sure to follow the law.”
Mayor Brandon Johnson, at an interfaith prayer breakfast honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, acknowledged the fears many families have about next week.
“But we cannot allow fear and panic to disrupt and to block our unwavering desire to see hope truly manifest,” Johnson said.
City leaders reaffirmed Chicago’s commitment to being a sanctuary city this week, but that won’t stop ICE agents from carrying out orders targeting Chicago that could come as soon as Monday.
The Chicago Police Department shared the following statement Friday:
“The Chicago Police Department enforces the City of Chicago’s Municipal Code, which includes the Welcoming City Ordinance. CPD does not document immigration status, and in accordance with the ordinance, does not share information with federal immigration authorities. We will not intervene or interfere with any other government agencies performing their duties.”
For more information from CPS on immigration guidance and students’ rights, click here.
Para más información de CPS sobre orientación de inmigración y derechos de los estudiantes, haga clic aquí.
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