Immigrant advocates brace for possible mass deportations in Chicago, even in extreme cold
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The immigrant community in Chicago was bracing itself Sunday evening for what was expected to be a chaotic week — as the incoming Trump administration promises mass deportations of the undocumented on day one.
The looming threat had advocates preparing for the worst — even in the brutal cold. But exactly when any sort of mass deportation will actually unfold is unclear.
The incoming Trump administration is planning to ramp up operations to arrest unauthorized immigrants across major U.S. cities next week after President-elect Donald Trump takes office, targeting "sanctuary" jurisdictions that limit cooperation with federal immigration officials, two sources familiar with the plans tell CBS News.
Trump's chosen border czar, Tom Homan, warned last month that Chicago would be "ground zero" for their mass deportation efforts.
Activists who work with asylum seekers said they are ready, informing immigrants and asylum seekers of their legal rights.
The conversations on the ground are worrisome.
"The concerns are like, 'What happens to my children?'" said Baltazar Enriquez, president of the little Village Community Council.
The council is among the many advocacy groups guiding local immigrant families through what is so far the unknown as the threat of mass deportations looms.
The groups are passing out flyers that outline what people should and should not do when coming face to face with an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.
"We're asking them not to sign any document, not to be bamboozled by La Migra, where they could say: 'Hey, you want to go home? Sign here,' and you're actually deporting yourself," Enriquez said.
But as of Sunday night, it was unclear when and where the mass deportations of undocumented immigrants would take place.
A report in the Wall Street Journal, citing sources, claimed the incoming Trump administration was planning a mass immigration raid in Chicago starting on Tuesday — in which around 100 to 200 officers would carry out the operation.
Homan revealed this weekend that the leak may now impact the plan — as they do not want to put officers in danger.
But While Homan said the administration may reconsider how they move forward, he insisted going to Chicago is not off the table.
Despite the incoming administration insisting that they will target only undocumented immigrants with criminal records, immigration advocates said it will be incredibly hard to single those individuals out — leading to what they describe as a chaotic scenario.
"Since fewer than one of 10 undocumented people even have a criminal record, there will be very many swept into this plan," said Nayna Gupta, policy director at the American Immigration Council. "There are already 1.3 million people who have a final removal order living here in the U.S. who will be vulnerable on day one. How the administration will find these people depend on the tools of enforcement they use."
As far as what neighborhoods will be targeted this week, that remains unclear.
The Illinois TRUST Act and Chicago's Welcoming City Ordinance both prohibit local law enforcement from assisting federal authorities with immigration enforcement actions, including deportations.