Introduction to the Issue
CHICAGO — In the wake of aggressive immigration enforcement in Chicago, some elected officials and union leaders are calling on the community to help protect immigrant students and their families. Chicago Public Schools is also reminding families that it doesn’t collect immigration information and that parents should provide emergency contact information to schools.
Recent ICE Activity
The messages from CPS, the Chicago Teachers Union, and state and local elected representatives came after a mother and her children, ages 8 and 3, were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at Millennium Park last weekend. Their comments also come after federal agents rappelled onto an apartment building in South Shore on Tuesday, where ICE arrested more than 30 people. Many migrant families have settled in the South Side neighborhood in recent years.
Response from Chicago Public Schools
Chicago Public Schools did not say whether South Shore-area schools had planned or offered additional support for their students this week after the raid. However, during a press conference Thursday outside of Roosevelt High School in the immigrant-rich neighborhood of Albany Park, teachers and elected officials reported ICE activity and arrests in the neighborhood Wednesday, including near schools. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security did not confirm whether ICE detained anyone near the school or elsewhere in the neighborhood.
Statements from Union Leaders
“I am standing here with educators, teachers, school clerks, teachers assistants, social workers and nurses to say that again … They are not welcome to pick up parents and detain them after they drop their children off at our schools. They are not welcome in our neighborhoods to terrorize, to ask for papers,” Stacy Davis Gates, president of the CTU, told reporters.
Measures to Protect Students and Families
In a Wednesday letter to CPS families, interim CPS CEO Macquline King said teachers do not ask students or families for immigration status, and CPS does not share student records with ICE or other federal representatives without a court order or consent from the student’s guardian. Her letter also reminded families that schools do not allow federal agents inside without a criminal judicial warrant signed by a federal judge.
Community Support
Evelyn Gonzalez, a teacher and CTU delegate at Roosevelt, said teachers volunteered to stay late at the building Wednesday for kids who felt safer staying back. “There were businesses offering refuge in case we needed it, and there were neighbors from our community stepping up to make sure our students were safe walking home,” Gonzalez said. “I hope that we can stand together and that we can care for each other.”
Elected Officials’ Involvement
Ald. Rossana Rodriguez, whose ward includes Albany Park, said she closed her office early Wednesday so that she and staff could help monitor school dismissal. Her office and community organizers were able to gather 50 people in about two hours who would help “notify the community” in case ICE agents showed up, she said. State Sen. Graciela Guzman told reporters that the children and mother arrested at Millennium Park have been released, and the 8-year-old girl went to school Thursday, crediting advocacy from the community. A federal judge ordered that both are protected from deportation for now, the Chicago Tribune reported.
Conclusion
The recent ICE activity in Chicago has raised concerns about the safety and well-being of immigrant students and their families. The community, along with elected officials and union leaders, is coming together to protect and support those affected. By providing emergency contact information and reminding families of their rights, Chicago Public Schools is taking steps to ensure that students feel safe and supported.
FAQs
Q: What is the current situation with ICE activity in Chicago?
A: There have been recent reports of aggressive immigration enforcement in Chicago, including the detention of a mother and her children at Millennium Park and the arrest of over 30 people in the South Shore neighborhood.
Q: How is Chicago Public Schools responding to the situation?
A: CPS is reminding families that it doesn’t collect immigration information and that parents should provide emergency contact information to schools. Teachers and staff are also volunteering to stay late at schools to support students who feel safer staying back.
Q: What can the community do to help protect immigrant students and families?
A: The community can come together to support and protect those affected by ICE activity. This can include providing refuge, monitoring school dismissal, and notifying the community in case of ICE agents showing up.
Q: What are the rights of students and families in regards to immigration status?
A: Teachers do not ask students or families for immigration status, and CPS does not share student records with ICE or other federal representatives without a court order or consent from the student’s guardian. Schools do not allow federal agents inside without a criminal judicial warrant signed by a federal judge.
