What Immigrant Communities Need to Know
Be Prepared and Stay Protected — January 31, 2025
In a week marked by heightened immigration enforcement activities, the strength and solidarity of Chicago’s immigrant communities remains intact.
On this week’s ICE raids
People protest at a rally near the water tower on the Magnificent Mile in Chicago, Illinois, on Saturday. Photograph: Scott Olson/Getty Images
The recent uptick in ICE activity appears to be scattershot with activity reported across Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. We have confirmed reports of ICE agents appearing at homes and public spaces, often during early morning hours, wearing different uniforms, including plainclothes. Some have vests that only say “Police,” while others say “ICE” or “HSI” and some are wearing jackets over their uniforms / vests.
The success of these operations is up for debate in terms of finding the stated targets of the raids, but they have been highly disruptive as they have engaged in “collateral arrests”, detaining people who happen to be present instead of the stated target.
The sudden increase in ICE activity has been sensationalized through the inclusion of reality TV stars and a steady drip of over the top pronouncements from the White House, many of which we do not expect to ever materialize. All of this has led to an environment of fear, fueled by fast spreading rumors.
The best way to fight the fear is to not engage with unverified reports of ICE and instead, report arrests and sightings to the ICIRR hotline or on our report ICE form here.
What is clear is that it’s more important than ever to know your rights to be prepared and stay protected through this period of uncertainty.
Learn More on Our Weekly Immigration Update!
TRP Immigrant Justice has launched our Weekly Immigration Update livestream to keep our communities up-to-date on the latest immigration news and resources to help you stay safe. Be sure to watch this week’s update and follow us on Facebook and Instagram to tune in every week.
We’re live on Fridays at 4 PM CST!
Here’s what we know:
ICE continues to go to homes and disrupt communities
There have been reports that people were detained after voluntarily opening their doors
ICE appears to be escalating their tactics to gain entry to homes and detain individuals
Agents have different colored uniforms. Some have vests that only say “Police” while others say “HSI” or “ICE”. Some are wearing jackets on top of their vests
ICE has told media they will hold a press conference when this operation concludes, but no firm date or time has been set
We have seen that ICE has abused their powers, but remember, do not open your door, and document everything
Some ICE officers are traveling in unmarked cars and pickup trucks with regular state license plates, including Indiana license plates
What you can do:
DO NOT OPEN YOUR DOORS TO ANYONE YOU DO NOT KNOW
Make sure you KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
Report ICE activity to 1-855-435-7693 or click here to learn more
Record ICE encounters if you feel safe doing so and share with TRP social channels
Fill out this form if a loved one has been detained by ICE in Illinois
How TRP can help:
We offer multiple support channels for community members affected by immigration enforcement actions:
Know Your Rights: Sign up for a virtual training and access detailed guides in multiple languages about how to exercise your constitutional rights
Legal Assistance Workshops: Sign up for an immigration assistance workshop if you are facing deportation proceedings
Weekly Immigration Updates: Join us every Friday at 4:00 PM CST on Facebook and Instagram Live for the latest immigration news and policy updates
Individual Legal Consultations: Schedule appointments with our in-house legal clinic for personalized immigration guidance
Emergency Response Support: Report a detained loved one and our team will reach out to you as soon as possible
The best thing we can do now is fight the fear by standing together, understanding our rights, and spreading resources, so that our communities stay prepared and protected.
