Chicago Residents Organize “PeopleS Patrols” in Response to Increased ICE Activity
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AMY GOODMAN: We end today’s show in Chicago, where Trump’s Border Patrol chief, Gregory Bovino, joined Border Patrol agents in tactical gear who roamed downtown streets and rode boats in the Chicago River. On Monday, illinois Governor JB Pritzker condemned ICE’s violent attacks and confirmed the so-called Department of War was seeking the deployment of a hundred military troops to Illinois.
GOV. JB PRITZKER: Sixty percent of the individuals that ICE has taken in Illinois this year have no criminal convictions of any kind. ICE is running around the Loop harassing people for not being white. Just a year ago,that was illegal in the United States. Now ICE is making it commonplace.
AMY GOODMAN: For more, we’re joined in Chicago by Cristóbal Cavazos, longtime community activist, who’s been volunteering with people’s patrols of ICE. He’s co-founder of Immigrant Solidarity DuPage and Casa DuPage Workers Center.
Welcome to Democracy Now! Cristóbal. Explain what’s taking place and how you are organized and what these people’s patrols of ICE are.
Cristóbal Cavazos: Good morning, Amy. It’s really a pleasure to be here.
So, we’re seeing a historic onslaught in Chicago, the killing of Silverio Villegas González. We’re seeing it at Broadview detention center, friends of mine who have been tear-gassed, people being thrown like pancakes, ICE in the loop, ICE going down the Chicago River on boats. It’s really an attack on Chicago. They’re trying to break our spirit. It was noted a few months ago by Tom Homan that, you no, Chicago, your rights and your rights and your rights. And it’s true.
We’ve been, in Chicago, organizations like Casa DuPage, educating people, doing workshops, doing community patrols, doing rapid response. So, Chicago has been – you know, we’re the city of Big Shoulders, but we’re showing we’re the city of a big struggle, too. The people’s patrol, we have people all over Chicagoland, that it’s been a really beautiful mobilization.How can I help? You know, what can I do right now in the face of ICE? What can I do with the attacks?
Cities like Elgin, Illinois – they are our dear brothers and sisters – have been attacked almost every single day. And we are really mobilizing people. There are men, women, people from the Anglo community, African American community, Asian brothers and sisters coming out and giving a half an hour, an hour every single day, patrolling our neighborhoods, giving out Know Your Rights cards, talking to people in Mexican stores, Mexican laundry – you know, chicago is a very Mexican town – making these contacts, but at the same time creating these networks of protection, these networks of resistance, and in the face of ICE.
You know, we have ICE in places like Elgin and Joliet and Aurora, but being chased by three or four cars, ICE. I ran into IC
Chicago Activists Respond to Deployment of Federal Troops Amidst Protest Concerns
Chicago,IL – Activists in Chicago are vowing to continue protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) despite the recent deployment of federal troops to the city. The troop presence, announced in late September 2024, has been met with skepticism and defiance from community organizers who believe the move is intended to intimidate and suppress dissent.
Federal Troop Deployment and Local Response
The deployment,involving approximately 100 troops,was authorized as part of a broader effort to support federal law enforcement agencies. However, Cristóbal Cavazos, a volunteer with the People’s Patrol in Chicago, characterized the move as a deliberate attempt to instill fear within the community and discourage participation in protests. “He’s just trying to freak us out,” cavazos stated in an interview with Democracy Now!. “There are 3 million people in Chicago. There are hundreds of thousands of people in the Latino community. So,he’s trying to scare us.”
Chicago has a long history of robust protest activity surrounding ICE operations. Activists routinely demonstrate against ICE agents, and local politicians, including members of the City Council, have publicly opposed the agency’s actions. Cavazos believes the troop deployment is a direct response to this organized resistance.
“We routinely in Chicago have ICE agents surrounded by protesters. We’re shouting them out. We’re calling them out. We have congresspeople, aldermen in Chicago that are standing up to ICE,” Cavazos explained. “So,he’s going to send in these troops. But I think,as all of the attacks in Chicago have done,it’s had an opposite effect,in that it’s stimulating the movement.”
A protest is scheduled for October 4th at Trump Tower in chicago, demonstrating the community’s resolve to continue advocating for thier rights.
Concerns Over Federal Overreach
The deployment of federal troops to cities for law enforcement purposes has sparked debate about the appropriate role of the federal government and the potential for overreach. Critics argue that such deployments can undermine local control and escalate tensions between law enforcement and communities. The Biden governance has faced scrutiny over the use of federal agents in cities like Portland, Oregon, in 2020, raising concerns about the militarization of law enforcement and the suppression of peaceful protests. https://www.aclu.org/news/civil-liberties/federal-law-enforcement-tactics-portland-oregon
Upcoming Events with Amy Goodman
Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman will be speaking at the Roxie Theater in San Francisco on October 5th for a Q&A following a screening of the documentary Steal This Story, Please, which chronicles the history of the program. https://www.democracynow.org/events/2024/10/amy_goodman_at_jfi_special_screening_of_steal_this_story_please_1587 She will also appear at BAMPFA in Berkeley on October 6th for another screening and Q&A. https://www.democracynow.org/events/2024/10/amy_goodman_at_the_mill_valley_film_festival_for_steal_this_story_please_screening_qa_1586