https://socialistaction.org/2017/04/07/grassroots-struggle-for-immigrant-rights-in-chicago-area/
Grassroots immigrant rights struggle in Chicago area
/ 2 days ago
April 2017 ICE raidBy CRISTOBAL CAVAZOS
DuPage Immigrant Solidarity Coalition
Although, ironically, immigrant detentions are slightly down as the
Great Deporter in Chief Barack Obama leaves office, Donald Trump’s new
immigration guidelines seek to go well beyond Obama’s, with the
possibility of deportations of millions of documented workers.
Immigration agents and police officials, who in their majority supported
Donald Trump, have been emboldened in their tactics by the racist and
xenophobic nature of the new presidency. They have targeted farmworkers,
students, and activists with pressure from the White House for local
police to begin enforcing federal immigration law under the widely hated
Secure Communities or “Polimigra” program.
This was evident on March 23, in Genesso, N.Y., when a police officer
called ICE agents on a family of seven from Guatemala after a routine
traffic stop. A mass spontaneous protest ensued, provoking ICE to
release the parents. “¡Estamos con ustedes!” (“We are with you!) chanted
close to 100 protesters who erupted onto the scene.
Since the election of Donald Trump, here in west suburban Chicagoland at
least one ICE operation was confirmed by the press. In February, in
conjunction with ICE sweeps in New York, Atlanta, and Los Angeles, ICE
agents parked outside a heavily Latino apartment complex in the area.
While the majority of residents rightly stayed inside their homes, when
one individual stepped outside to go to work he was immediately picked
up and taken away.
Local activists have been informing undocumented residents of their
rights, and steps that can help protect them in case of raids. For
example, not opening doors, not answering questions, and if knocking
persists, asking for a signed warrant from a judge that includes the
targeted person’s name on it.
ICE agents in the Chicago area, often without warrants from immigration
judges, and still slammed with cases from the close to 3 million
deportations under Obama, have resorted to trickery and deceit to get
immigrant workers to open their doors. “There has been a robbery in the
neighborhood and we need to talk with you,” ICE agents reportedly said
in a recent raid.
The reactionary proposals from above have fueled transformative action
from below. In February, with leadership from ARISE Chicago Workers
Center and other local organizations, such as PASO (Illinois Coalition
of Immigrant and Refugee Rights), the city of Oak Park passed an
ordinance to become a sanctuary city, setting a new precedent in the
area. Naperville, Aurora, and West Chicago, along with Lake and Cook
counties have stated under sustained pressure from immigrant rights
activists and organizations that they would substantially limit the
enforcement of immigration laws and cooperation with federal immigration
officials.
Over 300 jurisdictions nationwide have sanctuary-like policies, and this
number is growing. Pressure is being exerted on DuPage County Sheriff
John Zaruba to follow suit with the recent formation of the DuPage
Sanctuary Coalition. The grassroots coalition’s goal is to gain
sanctuary in DuPage County under the rallying cry of “No Human Being is
Illegal! Stop All Deportations!”
We will target individual cities where there is evidence of police
racial profiling (which is the majority) while promoting sanctuary in
those municipalities and in schools and churches. A new Latino-Muslim
solidarity will be forged.
These efforts will continue even as the large immigrant rights
organizations, with their millions in establishment money, push Latinos
and immigrants into the graveyard of Democratic Party politics. Their
goal is to turn everything into a referendum on Trump—similar to what
they did under President George W. Bush with Obama promising immigration
reform in his first 100 days in office.
Immigrant and Latino workers must reject the narrow reactionary
paradigms of the Republican and Democratic Parties with renewed activity
in grassroots sanctuary movements, strikes, and struggles at their
workplaces for union organization and higher wages.
May Day will be such a mass expression of outrage against the
government’s racist anti-immigration agenda. Massive numbers of people
will take to the streets with the call of Legalization for All, No
Polimigra, Full Citizenship for All Workers!
With the hope of a new future of justice, equality, growing solidarity,
mass protest, and rejection of xenophobia, racism, and anything that
seeks to divide workers and communities, we can achieve real victories.
Photo: ICE photo of its Feb. 7 raid in Los Angeles. Via AP.
Share this:
Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
Share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
April 7, 2017 in Civil Liberties, Immigration, Latino Civil Liberties,
Trump / U.S. Government.
Related posts
Trump escalates war on immigrant workers
Homeland Security Operates Sting Against Migrant Workers
Workers, immigrants march on May Day
Post navigation
← Landmark UN report scores Israeli apartheid
U.S. missile attack on Syria: ‘First Casualty’ multiplied →
Get Involved!
Donate to help support our work
Get email updates
Join Socialist Action
Newspaper Archives
Newspaper Archives Select Month April 2017 (4) March 2017 (13)
February 2017 (19) January 2017 (13) December 2016 (12) November
2016 (19) October 2016 (12) September 2016 (10) August 2016 (10)
July 2016 (14) June 2016 (14) May 2016 (9) April 2016 (12) March
2016 (14) February 2016 (8) January 2016 (11) December 2015 (11)
November 2015 (9) October 2015 (8) September 2015 (10) August 2015
(7) July 2015 (13) June 2015 (9) May 2015 (10) April 2015 (12) March
2015 (9) February 2015 (11) January 2015 (10) December 2014 (12)
November 2014 (11) October 2014 (9) September 2014 (6) August 2014
(10) July 2014 (11) June 2014 (10) May 2014 (11) April 2014 (10)
March 2014 (9) February 2014 (11) January 2014 (11) December 2013
(10) November 2013 (11) October 2013 (17) September 2013 (13) August
2013 (10) July 2013 (11) June 2013 (15) May 2013 (14) April 2013
(14) March 2013 (12) February 2013 (10) January 2013 (17) December
2012 (7) November 2012 (8) October 2012 (19) September 2012 (2)
August 2012 (27) July 2012 (18) June 2012 (3) May 2012 (19) April
2012 (14) March 2012 (17) February 2012 (19) January 2012 (17)
December 2011 (3) November 2011 (33) October 2011 (14) September
2011 (13) August 2011 (34) July 2011 (24) June 2011 (19) May 2011
(19) April 2011 (15) March 2011 (15) February 2011 (16) January 2011
(15) December 2010 (17) November 2010 (1) October 2010 (6) September
2010 (3) August 2010 (8) July 2010 (7) June 2010 (2) May 2010 (9)
April 2010 (3) March 2010 (8) February 2010 (3) January 2010 (9)
December 2009 (6) November 2009 (5) October 2009 (16) September 2009
(3) August 2009 (2) July 2009 (5) June 2009 (2) May 2009 (7) April
2009 (6) March 2009 (16) February 2009 (9) January 2009 (10) December
2008 (11) November 2008 (8) October 2008 (16) September 2008 (14)
August 2008 (18) July 2008 (12) June 2008 (3) May 2008 (2) April
2008 (3) March 2008 (14) February 2008 (11) January 2008 (11)
December 2007 (8) November 2007 (1) July 2007 (1) June 2007 (1)
April 2007 (1) March 2007 (1) February 2007 (3) December 2006 (11)
November 2006 (11) October 2006 (13) September 2006 (15) August 2006
(11) July 2006 (18) June 2006 (7) May 2006 (14) April 2006 (6) March
2006 (14) February 2006 (5) January 2006 (2) December 2005 (9)
November 2005 (8) October 2005 (13) September 2005 (12) August 2005
(9) July 2005 (16) June 2005 (16) May 2005 (16) April 2005 (12)
March 2005 (14) February 2005 (19) January 2005 (15) December 2004
(14) November 2002 (17) October 2002 (19) September 2002 (22) August
2002 (21) July 2002 (15) May 2002 (21) April 2002 (21) February
2002 (15) January 2002 (15) December 2001 (17) October 2001 (24)
September 2001 (18) July 2001 (19) June 2001 (18) October 2000 (17)
September 2000 (21) August 2000 (19) July 2000 (16) June 2000 (26)
May 2000 (21) April 2000 (22) March 2000 (28) February 2000 (18)
January 2000 (20) December 1999 (20) November 1999 (26) October 1999
(25) September 1999 (18) August 1999 (40) July 1999 (38) June 1999
(24) May 1999 (27) April 1999 (25) March 1999 (26) February 1999
(29) January 1999 (24) July 1998 (12)
Search
View socialistactionusa’s profile on Facebook
View SocialistActUS’s profile on Twitter
View SocialistActionCT’s profile on YouTube
Subscribe to Our Newspaper
Upcoming Events
No upcoming events
Category Cloud
Actions & Protest Africa Anti-War Arts & Culture Black Liberation Canada
Caribbean Civil Liberties Cuba East Asia Economy Education & Schools
Elections Environment Europe Immigration Indigenous Rights International
Labor Latin America Latino Civil Liberties Marxist Theory & History
Middle East Palestine Police & FBI Prisons South Asia Uncategorized Vote
Socialist Action Women's Liberation
View Calendar
Blog at WordPress.com.