Amid Escalating ICE Raids in Chicago, Duckworth, Durbin Meet with Community Members to Discuss the Devastating Impacts

Amid Escalating ICE Raids in Chicago, Duckworth, Durbin Meet with Community Members to Discuss the Devastating Impacts

[CHICAGO, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Brighton Park community members and elected officials, followed by Pastor Chris Harris Sr. of Bright Star Community Outreach and local leaders to learn more and provide support amid ICE's extreme activity in Chicago-terrorizing neighborhoods and using excessive force against peaceful protestors. Photos from today's meeting with Brighton Park residents are available on the Senator's website. Photos from today's meeting with Bright Star Community Outreach are also available on the Senator's website.

"Donald Trump's mass mobilization of federal enforcement in Chicago is wasteful, ineffective, inhumane and makes Illinoisans less safe," Duckworth said. "Deploying massive federal law enforcement resources to hunt down non-violent individuals for civil immigration violations-while zip-tying children and firing rubber bullets at protestors-does nothing to make our country safer. Communities are frightened, with neighbors afraid to even go to the grocery store or to work for fear of being arrested. During this time, I urge folks on the ground to stay calm, continue working together and document what you can so we can hold those responsible accountable."

"It's clear President Trump wanted to deploy our nation's military to Illinois, with no legal basis, to spread fear and sow chaos. There is no rebellion or insurrection happening in our state. Illinoisans, like all Americans, have the right under the First Amendment to peacefully protest this Administration's cruel and misguided immigration policies," said Durbin. "The reckless raids that communities like Brighton Park and Bridgeport have experienced are completely unacceptable. I implore these communities to stick together, support your neighbors, and record what you see. Senator Duckworth and I will continue to call these deployments what they are-an illegal, immoral power grab by a President determined to consolidate his power and stifle any dissent-and use all available legal means to stop them."

Today's meeting follows ICE's ongoing aggressive activities in Chicago. On October 4, U.S. Border Patrol officers shot Marimar Martinez in Chicago's Brighton Park after claiming she was armed-a narrative her attorney disputes with body-cam footage showing an agent saying "Do something, b---" before firing-leading to later protests where agents used tear gas and pepper balls on demonstrators.

Earlier in the month, ICE agents arrested four people in broad daylight outside the shelter operated by Bright Star Community Outreach in Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood, without any advance warning or communication from Homeland Security.

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