Chicago-area safe haven communities prepare for possible ICE raids, mass deportations
EVANSTON, Ill. (CBS) -- All eyes were on Chicago Tuesday morning as the looming threat of mass deportations of undocumented immigrants gained momentum with President Trump now back in office.
The incoming administration has vowed to make Chicago ground zero for raids. Thus, communities across the Chicago area that have become safe havens for undocumented immigrants are now bracing themselves for what will be a very unpredictable next few days — if not weeks.
Tuesday morning, the Little Village Community Council was passing out flyers, educating immigrants about their rights should they be stopped by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
"One of the main things is letting them know not to sign anything, not to say anything, not to answer questions, and stay quiet," Little Village Community Council president Baltazar Enriquez said. "The flyer that we're giving out, it has phone numbers for the consulate – the Mexican consulate, the Honduran consulate, the Guatemalan consulate, and attorneys that are willing to help them out for free."
Baltazar said the Little Village Community Council and other advocates will be handing out flyers until 10 a.m., and possibly hold a rally later on Tuesday to show the new Trump administration they're not afraid.
He said he's been in touch with the police in this area, and he said they have not been able to give him any information about possible ICE agents being in this area.
The City of Evanston is taking matters into its own hands as the nationwide crackdown gets underway.
"We don't know what's coming next, but we know we have a responsibility," said Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss.
The City of Evanston held a workshop Monday night at the Evanston Civic Center, giving undocumented community members the tools to fight back amid a cloud of uncertainty.
"We know that there is a possibility that our residents will be under threat, and we want to arm and empower them with every piece of information," Biss said.
The preparation for the unknown is something that is keeping so called sanctuary cities across the country on edge as the threat of mass deportations loom.
Just minutes into being sworn in – the Trump administration shut down the border app CBP One, which allowed asylum seekers to enter the U.S. legally. This move canceled all scheduled asylum appointments and stopping thousands of migrants in their tracks.
After a weekslong journey to the border, a mom from Venezuela was seen on camera breaking down in tears as she had nowhere to go.
Back in Chicago, while local nonprofits and pro-immigrant organizations keep a watchful eye on predominantly immigrant neighborhoods, Chicago Police Department leadership issued a statement reminding the public that it will not assist federal immigration authorities with enforcement action as part of the current municipal code:
"In accordance with the City of Chicago's Municipal Code, which includes the Welcoming City Ordinance, the Chicago Police Department does not assist federal immigration authorities with enforcement action solely based on immigration status. Additionally, CPD does not document immigration status and does not share such information with federal authorities.
"CPD is prohibited by the Welcoming City Ordinance from participating in civil immigration enforcement operations or assisting in the civil enforcement of federal immigration law. CPD's Responding to Incidents Involving Citizenship Status policy also states that if the Department receives a request from an immigration agency to provide assistance with a civil immigration enforcement operation, a supervisor will respond to the scene. If the request is to assist in the enforcement of civil immigration law, the supervisor will decline the request. If the request is unrelated to civil immigration law, appropriate police action will be taken. The Responding to Incidents Involving Citizenship Status policy was recently revised to require a supervisor of higher rank (a Watch Operations Lieutenant or Street Deputy) to respond to the scenes of these requests, in addition to the previously required supervisor from the district of occurrence.
"To be clear, the Chicago Police Department will not assist or intervene in civil immigration enforcement in accordance with the City of Chicago Municipal Code. As always, we will continue to enforce the law if a crime occurs, regardless of the citizenship status of those involved."
Immigration law expert has advice for migrants, employers about potential for ICE raids
CBS News Chicago has learned some businesses who employ immigrants in the Chicago area have either decided to close, or told some employees not to come in due to potential ICE raids.
Michael LeRoy, an immigration law expert and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign professor of labor and employment relations, said all employers should be checking their workers' I-9 employment eligibility verification forms to ensure they're authorized to work in the U.S.
"So there should be a record check. Employers should also designate one person to speak on behalf of the employer. When a raid happens, it's going to be unannounced, typically. It'll be a chaotic scene. There will be fear or anxiety, and so it's important not to have everybody speaking at once. From an employer perspective, have one person designated to speak on behalf of the employer," he said.
LeRoy also said people should carry ID with them at all times, regardless of their immigration status.
"Immigration's been put on a national emergency footing, and the last time it was put on that footing was World War II during the Japanese internment experience. So I think it's a wise course for everybody – including people born in the United States, regardless of ethnicity – carry your ID with you anytime you go outside," he said.
As for if ICE agents show up at someone's home, LeRoy said a search warrant is necessary for them to enter any residence. Lawyers will generally tell clients to stay silent in that kind of situation, and not to actively resist or oppose law enforcement, but also not volunteer any information.
"Immigration is a law enforcement agency, and they're going to search and seize. That's the whole point, and the 4th Amendment protects against search and seizure without probable cause. If somebody's presented with a warrant, and it's signed by a judge or a magistrate, that's a lawful situation," LeRoy said.
LeRoy said it will be interesting to see if ICE agents show up at any local jails to try to take custody of any undocumented immigrants who are being held on criminal charges, given not only Chicago's sanctuary city ordinance, but the Illinois TRUST Act, which prohibits law enforcement statewide from cooperating with federal immigration authorities, except in cases where the person faces a federal criminal arrest warrant.
"Notably, under the TRUST Act, local law enforcement cannot ask or inquire about immigration status, track it, and so forth. So that information is going to be unavailable to ICE, and I believe they would at some point to a local detention center," he said.
Meantime, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said his office is ready to challenge President Trump's newly signed executive order aiming to end birthright citizenship.
"The language in the 14th Amendment is clear, and not ambiguous," Raoul said. "If you are born in this country, you are a citizen of this country. "
It still remains unclear when and where the anticipated mass deportations will take place. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has said he will do everything in his power to protect law-abiding undocumented immigrants from being deported from the state.
"Convicted violent criminals who are undocumented should be removed from this country, period, end of sentence. That already is the law. There are people who have deportation orders as a result of that, and they should be removed. Nothing wrong with that," he said. "Ripping families apart, people who are law-abiding residents of the state of Illinois or of this country – law-abiding residents – ripping those families apart not acceptable to Americans, and we're gonna stand up for them in the state of Illinois."
Pritzker also called the executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship "unconstitutional," and added that "the people of Illinois can count on [him] to stand against unconstitutional actions."
Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez said the school district has an entire legal team prepared to help protect children and their families from potential ICE raids.
"I want our families to know I want them to feel confident in being able to send their children to school. We're not going to interact with ICE," he said. "The only time that they will be able to really get anything from us, in terms of information or any access, will be if they have a judicial or court order. We have lawyers that are actually dedicated from our legal department that will have to review those orders."
