President-elect Donald Trump’s plans for mass deportations are raising concerns from leaders in Chicago’s immigrant communities to the halls of Congress. The plans to begin deporting millions of immigrants without permanent legal status are setting off alarm bells in neighborhoods like Little Village and other communities with large immigrant populations. Pastor Emma Lozano of Lincoln United Methodist Church said, “We are terrified with those threats of deportation.” Lozano, who provided sanctuary at her church for Elvira Arellano nearly two decades ago, is calling on President Joe Biden to act before leaving office.
“To give temporary protection status for those people that have been living here for decades, paying taxes, possibly married to U.S. citizens or have U.S. citizen children or ‘Dreamer’ children,” she urged. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration is preparing to protect families with members lacking permanent legal status. Beatriz Ponce de Leon, the deputy mayor for Immigrant, Migrant, and Refugee Rights, emphasizes that Chicago will not assist ICE in mass deportations due to its Welcoming City Ordinance.
Trump’s deportation plans raise concerns
“We will continue to maintain our ordinance in place and to comply with that,” Ponce de Leon stated. One of the biggest concerns is the potential for deportations to separate families. Rep.
Delia Ramirez, a Democrat representing Chicago and some western suburbs, said, “This idea that he’s only going to deport on day one, people who are undocumented, who have a criminal record, is an absolute lie.”
Senator Dick Durbin also weighed in, stating, “Watch what happens when that debate begins. People are going to come to their senses and leave some of this rhetoric behind them. They’re going to say, ‘Yes, dangerous people, get rid of them.
For God’s sake, don’t tear that family apart. Those are good people.'”
Community leaders like Pastor Lozano fear that if mass deportations start hitting home in Chicago, churches may need to step up to provide families with sanctuary.
