Migrant groups in Chicago are organizing emergency plans in response to potential deportations under Trump’s administration
He answered questions about deportation risks and what he calls collateral damage, which happens when ICE agents come to arrest one person and end up taking more. Salazar and other advocates have started these workshops across the city in response to President Trump’s threats of mass deportations. With his inauguration just days away, local groups are also drafting emergency response plans.
In the community center’s basement, a Venezuelan man asked a question on many minds: “If we get deported, will the kids go with us?” He was there with his 9-year-old daughter and partner, holding their 3-month-old baby. WBEZ didn’t use their names to protect their identities.
Salazar explained that these questions highlight the need for everyone to create a custody plan. This plan should include finding a friend or family member willing to care for their kids, writing it down, and informing their children’s schools. He also suggested getting passports for their kids. The parents listened quietly, then glanced at the brochures he handed out.
During Trump’s first term, his “zero tolerance” policy separated over 5,000 children from their parents at the border, with no tracking records. Trump has stated he wants to be tougher on undocumented migrants this time, starting with criminals and those with deportation orders.
Last month, in a banquet hall on Chicago’s South Side, Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, declared that Chicago would be the “ground zero” for mass deportations. Advocates say this has sparked fear and anxiety in Chicago’s migrant communities.
On the same Saturday as Salazar’s workshop, the Mexican consulate in West Loop held a tough training session called “It’s Better to Be Prepared.” “This is a hard topic,” said Deputy Consul Gerardo Guerrero. “Families often don’t want to talk about it. But now is the time to ask: ‘What will happen to my kids if they are born in the U.S. and I haven’t registered them as Mexican citizens? What about my property or bank accounts?’”
Guerrero has been informing Mexican migrants about their right to remain silent, request a lawyer, and deny immigration officials entry to their homes without a signed warrant.
Brenda Delgado, a mutual aid volunteer on the South Side, spoke with participants after a “Know Your Rights” training. Some Nicaraguan and Venezuelan attendees had questions about creating emergency plans for their kids if they were arrested by immigration officials.
In the Lake View neighborhood on the North Side, a team of mutual aid volunteers who have helped newly arrived migrants at police stations and shelters are also receiving training on migrant rights. They want to activate the infrastructure they built to assist newcomers and inform people about what to do if faced with deportation.
Volunteer Katie Merrel mentioned they are placing small cards with basic rights information in emergency kits given to migrants, along with diapers and food. She’s also encouraging migrants to have a plan for what to do if ICE shows up. “Make sure they memorize the phone number of someone who isn’t a migrant, so if they can’t access their phones, they can call for help,” she said.
She’s been recruiting Spanish speakers to be on standby. Other advocates citywide are creating call chains to spread information if there’s a raid or an immigrant parent needs help. They also want to monitor enforcement actions and intervene if ICE agents don’t follow local laws.
Meanwhile, Chicago officials are educating city employees about laws that prohibit them from cooperating with immigration agents. In suburban Lake County, Dulce Ortiz, executive director of Mano a Mano, an organization empowering migrant families, has been having migrants reenact encounters with immigration agents during training sessions so they know what to do and can practice asserting their rights.
She’s also been offering mental health support. “I’m a citizen, but I also have loved ones who are undocumented,” Ortiz said. “That’s very traumatic.” She noted that many advocates statewide are doing what they can to protect migrants at risk of deportation, but she knows not everyone will be safe.
“We can’t promise 100% that we’ll protect everyone, but we can promise they won’t be alone,” Ortiz emphasized. “We support each other. We’ve been through this before. I think this time will be worse, but that’s why we’re preparing.”
