Federal immigration agents’ raids under “Operation Midway Blitz” in Chicago and the recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement killings in Minneapolis have left some Hispanic and Latino students at the University concerned for their families up north.
The first wave of the operation began on Sept. 8 when the Department of Homeland Security issued a press release describing targeted immigrants as “Criminal Illegal Aliens Terrorizing Americans.”
U.S. ICE data show that only 15% of ICE detainees have a criminal background, and only 3% for violent crimes.
“The only thing I have to say about any of that language is that nobody is illegal on stolen land,” said Dulce Amor Nava, senior in LAS. “I think that what we’re seeing right now is such a flagrant act of hypocrisy that it’s almost hard to speak about.”
Nava told The Daily Illini that their heritage goes back to Texas before the U.S. claimed the state as its territory. They also said that they have roots in Cuautla, Morelos, home to the Tlahuica people, an endangered Indigenous group in Mexico.
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After growing up in a predominantly white Chicago suburb, Nava said their Indigenous heritage is extremely important to them. Nava also serves as an advocate for other Indigenous populations and said their identity and affiliations make immigration concerns hit especially close to home.
“Not a single day has gone by that I haven’t cried about the state of the world and what’s happening to my people,” Nava said. “It’s inspired me a lot to connect with all the friends that I have around me, even non-Mexican friends, just anybody that cares about what’s happening, anybody that sees what’s happening, because we are an educated student body.”
Having studied both sociology and psychology, Nava drew comparisons between the current political climate in the U.S. and that of Germany under the Nazi regime, expressing concern that the U.S. may be moving toward fascism.
“The University should be encouraging teachers to speak up, especially considering that we are an academic institution,” Nava said. “When you consider how history is completely repeating itself right now, I think the University is not only failing us as a student body but also failing itself and everything it stands for as an academic institution by letting us stay silent.”
In September, the University’s Chicago campus issued a statement through its Office of International Services providing community members with information and advice.
No such statement has been made in Champaign-Urbana, despite ICE operations taking place in the area. The University has provided responses to frequently asked questions to address specific concerns.
The DI spoke with Ross Wantland, interim director of the University’s Office of Academic Inclusive Excellence, formerly known as the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. According to Wantland, he’s seen an increase in student concern about immigration enforcement operations.
Wantland recalled an example of a student who came into his office and kept checking their phone, appearing to message people. The student told him that they were alerting their family about which grocery stores ICE was policing.
“I realize that students — who are maybe not there — are still helping their families in a number of ways, including providing information and resources and trying to gather that up,” Wantland said. “I think the experience of our students being separated from their families, who are worried and concerned that they themselves are also worried, distracted, concerned, and so we’ve seen an increase in people who have come through and sought some resources.”
The University provides resources through Open Illinois, a program that specializes in aiding undocumented students and those who arrived in the U.S. under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy.
Nava said that while they’re disappointed in the University’s overall lack of response, they do not wish to discredit the efforts of some University extension groups, including those of La Casa Cultural Latina, the cultural house for Latine students.
To address community concerns, the Mexican Student Association has hosted events, including a “Know Your Rights” workshop and an informational session on the legal parameters of ICE enforcement. The group has also hosted a “Pintar y Platicar” or “Paint and Chat” evening, along with other social events, to help students discuss and process the issues their community is facing.
Despite these resources, Laura Flores, junior in LAS and president of MSA, said that she still notices frustration from her peers.
“It’s the same constant panic and frustration every single day,” Flores said. “It’s something that I’m experiencing with my family, and I know friends who are experiencing that as well.”
Outside the University, Illinois policymakers continue to respond to immigration raids.
On Dec. 9, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed the Court Access, Safety, and Participation Act, preventing ICE agents from detaining subjects at courthouses. The bill also allows persons who were wrongfully detained to sue immigration agents for up to $10,000 in damages.
Despite this bill, Flores is skeptical about how effective policy enforcement will be.
“(When) I see that someone got arrested, got released, and got their money, that’s when I’ll be like, ‘Okay, something’s changing,’” Flores said. “But until that happens, it’s just a law. And, clearly, a lot of laws are not being followed, so what’s the point?”
