What Chicago’s fight against ICE can teach us all about how to resist oppression | Zoe Williams
In a compelling new podcast, listeners are drawn into the heart-wrenching realities faced by communities grappling with the fear of immigration raids in the United States. Following a significant shift in policy earlier this year, the Trump administration eliminated the long-standing understanding that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would avoid sensitive locations like schools, churches, and hospitals for raids. This change has instilled a deep sense of anxiety among immigrant families, leading to a notable decline in school attendance—teachers report that classrooms are now a third empty as parents hesitate to send their children to school. In response, community volunteers have stepped up, escorting children to and from school to ensure their safety.
In the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago, a grassroots movement has emerged to resist ICE’s aggressive tactics. Community members employ non-violent strategies to disrupt the operations of immigration agents, such as physically obstructing their movements. A particularly poignant example of their activism occurred last month when a group of 50 individuals rushed to a local church after hearing that ICE agents were waiting outside, effectively creating a protective barrier for the congregation. The community has also developed a system of coded whistles to alert residents of impending raids—one sound for suspected ICE convoys and another for confirmed sightings. This proactive approach has proven effective, with numerous undocumented migrants being warned away from areas where raids are taking place. However, the group also bears witness to the grim realities of these raids, such as abandoned vehicles and the arrest of workers in their everyday lives, underscoring the pervasive fear that looms over the community. The Protect Rogers Park group has seen a staggering increase in urgency, receiving 1,500 calls in a single day as residents seek help and support.
This podcast not only highlights the resilience of a community standing together against the threat of deportation but also serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of herd mentality. As fear spreads, it can lead to a chilling atmosphere where individuals feel isolated and powerless. The Rogers Park community exemplifies how collective action can counteract this fear, fostering solidarity and support among its members. Their story is a powerful reminder of the importance of standing up for one another in the face of adversity, illustrating that even in the darkest times, hope and resilience can flourish through community engagement and activism.
A harrowing US podcast documents a community’s struggle against immigration raids – and warns us about herd mentality
Earlier this year, the Trump administration reversed the convention that nobody would be snatched by immigration and customs enforcement, or ICE, by a school, church or hospital. Since then, teachers have reported classrooms a third empty, as parents are too scared to send their kids in – volunteers walk them there and back.
In the Rogers Park area of Chicago, a group of citizens are organising to resist such immigration raids. Sometimes, it’s simple non-violent tactics, such as slowing officers down by walking in front of them.
Last month, 50 people rushed to a church, where the congregation was trapped, having got word that there were ICE agents waiting outside. Maybe their most evocative tactic is whistles – coded blasts for when a convoy is suspected to be ICE agents, a different code when it’s confirmed. They have numerous accounts of undocumented migrants warned off driving right into a raid, which is galvanising, but they also see and hear dismaying things all the time: vehicles standing empty, one door open, not robbed, merely relieved of their drivers; landscape gardeners arrested off ladders. Earlier this month, the Protect Rogers Park group got 1,500 calls in a day.
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