CHICAGO—Residents of Little Village, a predominantly Mexican neighborhood on Chicago’s southwest side, are bracing for the possibility of mass deportations of illegal immigrants in the days following President Donald Trump’s inauguration.
People are anxious about what the days ahead will bring, either for themselves or for loved ones, according to local leaders who are helping all immigrants prepare for the expected operations by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel in their community.
Trump’s promise to initiate the largest deportation operation in U.S. history has had a chilling effect on West 26th Street, Little Village’s normally bustling commercial district.
Little Village, known to locals as “La Villita” or “the Mexico of the Midwest,” is known for being a significant entry point for Mexican immigrants, some of whom are illegal entries.
“Fear and worry are definitely disrupting normal activities, and it’s just keeping people basically on edge,” Jennifer Aguilar, executive director of the Little Village Chamber of Commerce, told The Epoch Times. “Today, just walking up and down the corridor, it looked like a ghost town.”
Laura Gutierrez Ramos, owner of Nuevo Leon restaurant, told The Epoch Times: “People are scared. You can’t blame them.”
Tom Homan, the newly appointed border czar, said in a Jan. 21 interview with CNN that the ICE deportations—prioritizing but not limited to illegal immigrants with a criminal record—have already begun.
Homan said the operations are targeting those who pose a threat to public safety, which he defined as people in the country illegally who have a criminal conviction. “[ICE officers] know exactly who they’re looking for, and they have a pretty good idea where they’ll find them,” Homan said.
Homan said if other illegal immigrants are found with the targeted deportee, they will also be detained. “When we go find our priority target, which is a criminal alien, if he’s with others in the United States illegally, we’re going to take enforcement action against them,” he said.
“That is the difference between the last administration and this administration: ICE is going to enforce immigration law. There’s nothing in the INA (Immigration and Nationality Act) that says you’ve got to be convicted of a serious crime in order to be removed from this country.”
To counter rumors and alleviate anxiety in the community, Aguilar said, local leaders are conducting outreach to business owners and the public, offering tips on how to deal with ICE officials.
“The most that we can do is just letting them know to prepare so they’re not caught off guard,” Aguilar said. “Knowing your rights is very important.”
She also advised immigrants not to run from law enforcement, as that provides probable cause for detention, and for illegal immigrants to plan ahead for care of their children in the event they are detained.
Leaders in the sanctuary city have distributed about 1,000 flyers to residents so far and intend to contact all businesses along the West 26th Street corridor.
Ramos, whose restaurant, opened by her father, has been a fixture of the neighborhood for more than 47 years, said she will cooperate with ICE officials inquiring about her employees and knows the limits of what she is legally required to do.
“If they come with a list of names, I’ll tell them if they’re here,” she said. “But if they ask to see I-9s for everybody, I’m not required to if they’ve worked here for three years,” she said, referring to the document used to verify an employee’s identity and immigration status.
Aguilar and Ramos said they believe a massive deportation effort would have a devastating economic effect on the country as local businesses need people willing to work.
“Trump is a smart man. He’s a businessman,” Ramos said. “At the end of the day, I hope he won’t do something that would ruin the U.S. economy.”
The report cites data from the U.S. Census Bureau indicating that more than 580,000 Chicago residents, or 21.5 percent of the population, are of Mexican origin, including 44 percent of the city’s cooks.
“We are known here in Little Village for having the second largest commercial corridor after Michigan Avenue,” Aguilar said.
The focus on deportation of illegal immigrants could have the unintended benefit of countering the narrative that all immigrants are criminals or are stealing jobs, according to Aguilar.
“The best thing that could happen out of this is finding a solution that addresses the issue in a way where people are able to legalize their status,” Aguilar said of illegal immigrants.
Ramos said she has faith that the deportation operations will bring the community together.
“We’re nothing without our community,” she said. “We stand with each other, by one another. God is good. We will persevere.”
