As an unprecedented immigration crackdown enters a third month, a growing number of Chicago residents are fighting back against what they deem a racist and aggressive overreach of the federal government.
Dense fog in spots to start, then warming up for a sunny SundayRead full article: Thousands of people gather in St. Augustine for Nights of Lights kick-off ceremonyPutnam County Sheriff’s Office arrests man accused of fatally stabbing woman at Dollar GeneralBaltazar Enriquez, president of the Little Village Community Council, walks with a Chicago Public School's student walkout in protest against U.
S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents around Chicago's Little Village neighborhood, Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025. Baltazar Enriquez, president of the Little Village Community Council, shakes hands with a local resident while patrolling for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Chicago's Little Village neighborhood, Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025. Baltazar Enriquez, president of the Little Village Community Council, hugs a community member while walking with a Chicago Public School's student walkout in protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents around Chicago's Little Village neighborhood, Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025. Baltazar Enriquez, president of the Little Village Community Council, speaks on the phone while patrolling for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Chicago's Little Village neighborhood, Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025. Baltazar Enriquez, president of the Little Village Community Council, and Rogelio Lopez Jr. walk around while patrolling for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Chicago's Little Village neighborhood, Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025. Baltazar Enriquez, president of the Little Village Community Council, walks with a Chicago Public School's student walkout in protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents around Chicago's Little Village neighborhood, Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025. – Baltazar Enriquez starts most mornings with street patrols, leaving his home in Chicago’s Little Village on foot or by car to find immigration agents that have“We don’t know if they’re going to come back. All we know is we’ve got to get ready,” he tells thousands of followers. “Give us any tips if you see any suspicious cars.”overreach of the federal government. The Democratic stronghold’s response has tapped established activists and everyday residents from wealthy suburbs to working class neighborhoods.“The strategy here is to make us afraid. The response from Chicago is a bunch of obscenities and ‘no,’” said Anna Zolkowski Sobor, whose North Side neighborhood saw agents throw tear gas and tackle an elderly man. “We are all Chicagoans who deserve to be here. Leave us alone.”Perhaps the clearest indicator of Chicago’s growing resistance is the sound of whistles. Enriquez is credited with being among the first to introduce the concept. For months Little Village residents have used them to broadcast the persistent presence of immigration agents. Furious blasts both warn and attract observers who record video or criticize agents. Arrests, often referred to as kidnappings because many agents cover their faces, draw increasingly agitated crowds. Immigration agents have responded aggressively.“We don’t have guns. All we have is a whistle,” Enriquez said. “That has become a method that has saved people from being kidnapped and unlawful arrest.” By October, neighborhoods citywide were hosting so-called “Whistlemania” events to pack the brightly colored devices for distribution through businesses and free book hutches. “They want that orange whistle,” said Gabe Gonzalez, an activist. “They want to nod to each other in the street and know they are part of this movement.”Even with its 2.7 million people, Chicago residents like to say the nation’s third-largest city operates as a collection of small towns with Midwest sensibilities.When immigration agents began targeting food vendors, Rick Rosales, enlisted his bicycle advocacy group Cycling x Solidarity. He hosted rides to visit street vendors, buying out their inventory to lower their risk while supporting their business. Irais Sosa, co-founder of the apparel store Sin Titulo, started a neighbor program with grocery runs and rideshare gift cards for families afraid of venturing out.Enriquez’s organization, Little Village Community Council, saw its volunteer walking group which escorts children to school, grow from 13 to 32 students. Many also credit the grassroots nature of the resistance to Chicago's long history of community and union organizing. Trump's “border czar” Tom Homan said Chicago area residents were so familiar with their rights that making arrests during a So when hundreds of federal agents arrived in September, activists poured energy into an emergency hotline that dispatches response teams to gather intel, including names of those detained. Volunteers would also circulate videos online, warn of reoccurring license plates or follow agents' cars while honking horns.Delilah Hernandez, 16, was among dozens from Farragut Career Academy who protested on a school day.She held a sign with the Constitution's preamble as she walked in Little Village. She knows many people with detained relatives., the Border Patrol commander who’s brought controversial tactics from operations in Los Angeles, called Chicago a “very non permissive environment.” He blamed sanctuary protections andthis month that U.S. Customs and Border Protection will target other cities. He didn't elaborate, but Homeland Security officials confirmed Saturday that anAlonso Zaragoza, with a neighborhood organization in the heavily immigrant Belmont Cragin, has printed hundreds of “No ICE” posters for businesses. Organizers in Oregon and Missouri have asked for advice. “It’s become a model for other cities,” Zaragoza said. “We’re building leaders in our community who are teaching others.”trainings offered by the pro-democracy group, States at the Core, doubled from 500 to 1,000 over a recent month, drawing participants from New Jersey and Tennessee. “We train and we let go, and the people of Chicago are the ones who run with it,” said organizer Jill Garvey.Enriquez completes up to three patrol shifts daily. Beyond the physical exertion, the work takes a toll. Federal agents visited his home and questioned family members. A U.S. citizen relative was handcuffed by agents. His car horn no longer works, which he attributes to overuse. “This has been very traumatizing,” he said. “It is very scary because you will remember this for the rest of your life.” Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.Car narrowly missing sleeping child after crashing into apartment | 'Didn't know what to think'Victim's family relieved after Palatka woman sentenced in 2022 fatal stabbingFree Food at Trout River Food Truck Park for those affected by SNAP delaysCity of Jacksonville working to address high cost, lack of availability when it comes to child careMan arrested on DUI manslaughter charges 6 months after crash that killed teacher, toddlerNews4JAX and City Rescue Mission Collect ‘Shoeboxes of Love’ for the HomelessTravis Hunter undergoes knee surgery, Jaguars announce; will miss rest of season1 dead, 1 injured after multiple house fires break out across Jacksonville overnightHere are some tips to avoid fire safety hazards when dealing with cold weather
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