Chicago has unveiled new tools for immigrants in the community to prepare for the possibility that the Trump administration will soon begin cracking down on crime and illegal immigration in the Democratic-run city.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D) and the city’s Office of Immigrant, Migrant and Refugee Rights (IMRR) rolled out an updated website with step-by-step guidance on how immigrants can protect themselves, including with user-friendly content explaining their rights.
The website also provides an “essential checklist for new arrivals,” with links to resources to assist in securing food and shelter, obtaining proper government identification, enrolling children in school, riding public transportation and seeking help from local community centers, among other tasks.
Johnson and IMRR also unveiled the Family Preparedness Campaign, aimed at providing Chicagoans with tools needed “to prepare in case of family separation due to federal immigration enforcement.”
The campaign encourages Chicagoans to formulate a “Family Preparedness Plan” and provides printable and fillable packets from community organizations to help organize essential information in case of potential law enforcement action.
The website says a plan should include “talking with your family or loved one about what to do in case of separation/emergency;” “creating a binder or folder gathering important identification documents;” “arranging guardianship for a loved one or a child” and “updating emergency contact information with schools, doctors, and employers when traveling.”
The city government will also hold virtual “Family Preparedness Workshops” every Thursday in September, starting this week, in partnership with the Chicago Legal Protection Fund, Chicago Public Libraries and The Resurrection Project. The workshops will review much of the material provided online and provide the opportunity to ask questions directly to community organizations.
“The Family Preparedness Campaign gives our communities the tools they need to stay informed in this moment,” Johnson said in a statement.
“My administration will not allow our communities to be consumed by fear and uncertainty. We will continue to provide updated information so that all of the families of Chicago are prepared,” he added.
President Trump says he intends to send the National Guard into Chicago, a move that is all-but-guaranteed to set up a significant legal battle and exacerbate the political tensions between the president and leaders in Illinois.
In Washington, under the Home Rule Act, the president has the authority to take control of the District of Columbia’s police department for up to 30 days. The president is also commander-in-chief of the D.C. National Guard. Those privileges, however, do not extend to sovereign states, where governors command their respective National Guards.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) warned the public that he believes plans are underway to ramp up federal immigration efforts in Chicago and said he is concerned those efforts might target Mexican Independence Day celebrations slated to take place in September.
“We have reason to believe that Stephen Miller chose the month of September to come to Chicago because of celebrations around Mexican Independence Day that happen here every year,” Pritzker said.
