When ICE Came to Our Chicago Neighborhood, We Were Ready to Respond

"I was still groggy, drinking my morning tea, when my phone started buzzing with alerts about ICE hitting a corner within walking distance of my home. At first, it was unclear if they had taken a street vendor who was familiar to many of us. Soon, we learned that the vendor was still there, but that two other neighbors had been seized."

"That series of texts would soon activate a neighborhood. I left my apartment on foot, in the clothes I had slept in, and made my way up Clark Street, watching for any signs of ICE. When I saw a suspicious vehicle, I relayed what I'd seen through neighborhood channels that coordinate ICE watch activity. When I reached the intersection of Clark and Lunt, where the abductions had occurred, other neighbors, including some old friends of mine, were already assembling and taking directions from local organizers who had been preparing for this moment for months."

"While some parts of Chicago have been targeted relentlessly during the recent federal onslaught known as "Operation Midway Blitz," Rogers Park had seen more scattered reports of ICE activity - until Thursday, when their presence was confirmed at the start of the day with immigration arrests, and continually reported throughout the morning and afternoon. Neighbors fanned out, searching streets and alleyways for any sign of ICE activity, following up on reports, and communicating what we found. Before long, there were dozens, and then hundreds of people in the streets, watching and responding."

Residents received buzzing alerts about ICE activity within walking distance, initially unclear if a familiar street vendor had been taken; later two neighbors were seized. Text messages mobilized neighbors who left homes quickly and coordinated through ICE-watch channels, relaying suspicious vehicle sightings and street-level observations. At Clark and Lunt, community members assembled and followed directions from organizers who had prepared for months. Rogers Park experienced confirmed ICE presence during Operation Midway Blitz, with arrests and repeated reports throughout the day. Neighbors fanned out through streets and alleyways, communicated findings, and grew from dozens into hundreds to watch, document, and respond.

Read at Truthout