The Trump regime’s stepped-up immigration enforcement in Chicago has affected many communities, including NEIU’s El Centro campus in Avondale. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids that have happened near the El Centro campus have caused concern among students, staff and families who live nearby. Communities in neighborhoods like Albany Park and Little Village have reported more ICE activity, and many students travel through these parts of the city to get to school. Some students take the bus, some take the train and others walk, so ICE vehicles in these areas make them feel unsafe or unsure about getting to school. These incidents have raised safety concerns for students who commute to campus.
“It feels awful knowing that they [ICE] are around,” said Danny Jaimes, a student at El Centro. “I worry for students who have to commute and also for those who have to walk.”
Danny said it is important for professors to understand that some students may choose to stay home or join class online because they are scared. Other students, who want to stay anonymous, say that they feel unsafe walking to school or even moving around the neighborhood.
At El Centro, there were Migra Watch trainings, which took place in September and another was held remotely in October. Migra Watch is a training that teaches community members what to do if they see ICE in the area. The training explains how to safely record what is happening, how to share updates with others in the community, and how to report if someone is detained by ICE.
A Facebook post by Kat Teutch, who witnessed an ICE raid on October 8th in Avondale, close to the El Centro campus, describes the raid, “Sadly, this morning, I had to hear the screams of people being abducted by ICE agents. By the time I got up, it was too late, and I couldn’t do anything to help, but I found out that they took a sweet lady who sells tamales at the Walgreens on Belmont and Kimball. My heart is torn, and to know I heard the screams of people running for their lives and for their families…. I cannot believe that anybody could have ever voted for this, wanted this, contested for it still.”
In an interview with Teutch, she described what she heard that morning from her apartment: “I awoke to the sounds of whistles and car horns, screaming. Immediately, I knew something was happening, my first guess being that ICE was raiding the area… I’ve never seen my block become so desolated so quickly.”
Teutch also explained the impact on her neighborhood, “It’s clearly a piece of the puzzle of ICE trying to tear apart the neighborhood, spreading fear into others, and carelessly taking whoever they please at any given moment.”
As ICE activity continues in Chicago, students, families and neighborhood residents remain alert and informed through community training and shared updates. For many, staying connected has become essential to navigating the uncertainty created by ongoing enforcement action.
