While debates over stadium construction and vacation rentals dominated Monday night’s City Council meeting, councilmembers also looked to ensure its residents are protected against the impending presence of federal immigration agents.
Earlier that day, the city warned of agents arriving in the city in the “coming days” as part of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Operation Midway Blitz, a federal immigration crackdown targeting undocumented immigrants in the Chicago area.
The message, according to Mayor Daniel Biss, was the first of its kind due to an unlikely tip about the operation Sunday night.
During public announcements at the meeting, Biss commended the city for its quick action, but said it’s a “tough call” to provide the right level of communication to empower residents without causing excessive panic.
“We’re all going to do everything we can to keep everyone safe, even in a time like this,” Biss said.
Councilmembers on the dais, city officials and several nonprofits have also mobilized for resident protections amid federal crackdowns.
The council unanimously passed a resolution Monday night calling on the U.S. Congress and the Illinois General Assembly to enact legislation prohibiting law enforcement from concealing their identities in immigration raids. It originally arose from a referral by Ald. Parielle Davis (7th), co-sponsored by Alds. Clare Kelly (1st) and Shawn Iles (3rd).
The city has a precedent of such immigrant-friendly actions. Most recently, it shut down its network of license plate reader cameras on Aug. 26 following a statewide audit that found federal agents had accessed the data for immigration enforcement purposes.
Soon after the inauguration of the second Trump administration in January, the council updated its 2016 Welcoming City Ordinance. While it originally prevented city officials from withholding services from residents based on their immigration status and barred the city from participating in immigration enforcement with ICE, it now prohibits participation in immigration enforcement with all federal agencies.
The ordinance also prohibits the city from sharing data with immigration officials or anyone looking to use the information for civil immigration law enforcement.
Aligned with the city’s efforts, local schools are obligated to provide all students with a free public education regardless of their immigration status. Both Evanston school districts passed ‘safe haven’ school district resolutions in 2017.
Evanston Township High School District 202 Superintendent Marcus Campbell and ETHS Principal Quiana McNeal reaffirmed District 202’s commitment in a message to families Monday.
Campbell and McNeal said the district is prepared to limit campus access to individuals with verified appointments, restrict movement on or off campus during the school day, create safe spaces for students who are uncomfortable leaving school and notify the Evanston Police Department should federal activity affect student or staff safety.
“We know this is an unsettling time for many in our community, and we want to assure you that ETHS remains steadfast in our commitment to the safety, dignity, and wellbeing of every student, staff member, and family,” they wrote.
Evanston/Skokie School District 65 Superintendent Angel Turner echoed this sentiment in a note she sent to District 65 families.
She added that the district is partnering with Sanctuary Evanston, a neighborhood support network, to share safety planning and temporary guardianship resources at its curriculum nights and parent-teacher conferences.
“We fully recognize the anxiety and worry within our community as we all work to care for our children, family members, neighbors, and friends,” Turner wrote. “I can assure you that we will continue to do everything possible to keep our students safe within our schools.”
The work that the city and school districts are doing to protect residents from the threat of federal immigration agents plays into the larger picture of keeping the Evanston community together, said Ricardo Villalobos, the newly named executive director of Evanston Latinos.
Villalobos said while most people’s first instinct is to run and hide, it’s important for residents to work together to create a trusted community.
“We are going to continue to strengthen ourselves in being a hub for not just Latinos, but for any immigrant who is new to the community, new to the state, to feel like they can come to us and we can connect them to opportunities, connect them to other resources,” he said.
Latinos en Evanston North Shore President Fabiola Zdrubecky said the grassroots organization is working to bolster safety at its in-person programming, including English classes and events.
“Cancelling (events) is not a priority, but being creative to deliver these events, it’s important because we still need the services,” she said. “We still need to learn English, we still need to be proud of our culture.”
For those who don’t feel safe attending in person, Zdrubecky said there are virtual options as well.
LENS is partnering with organizations like the Evanston Community Foundation, Sanctuary Evanston and the YWCA Evanston/North Shore to modify its programming, she said. Zdrubecky emphasized that these partnerships are important in helping act on the concerns of the city’s Latino community.
“We are, (as) a Latino organization, Hispanic community, are vulnerable now, and it’s regardless of immigrant status, documented, undocumented,” she said. “There’s a big racial profiling, and we need support. We can’t do it by ourselves.”
At the city level, councilmembers are using their newsletters and ward meetings to share additional information and resources with their constituents. Iles plans to bring in city staff to the next 3rd Ward meeting to update residents on the city’s work.
Ald. Krissie Harris (2nd) has also expanded the reach of immigration resources by translating “Know Your Rights” cards into several different languages for non-Spanish speaking communities “finding themselves in the crosshairs” of immigration crackdowns. Cards are available at the Evanston Public Library or can be downloaded online.
First Ward residents who don’t feel comfortable using the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights Hotline to report sightings of federal agents can reach out to Kelly directly and she will call ICIRR on their behalf, she wrote in a statement to The Daily.
Sharing these resources is meant to help residents feel safe, Ald. Jonathan Nieuwsma (4th) said.
“I really want to remind folks that Evanston is a welcoming community, Evanston is an inclusive community,” Nieuwsma said. “Speaking for myself, but I believe, for the rest of the city council as well, we reject the Trump administration policies wholeheartedly.”
Indivisible Evanston is also recommending its members get ICE rapid response training to prepare themselves should they observe ICE detaining people, said Kitty Knecht, a member of the organization’s leadership team.
For the past few weeks, Indivisible Evanston members have also participated in the national Signs of Solidarity campaign, handing out signs to local business owners that say ICE isn’t welcome in their establishment, Knecht said. She added that members are also engaging in the North Shore Says No! movement, where protestors meet on I-94 overpasses during Friday rush hours.
Biss affirmed that Evanston boasts “powerful” rapid response networks and community interconnectedness, all the way from its school districts to its local communities, which have proven effective in times of immigration arrests earlier this year.
“When ICE showed up at Dempster and Dodge a few months ago, I got there a few minutes later, and I was nowhere close to the first person on the scene,” Biss said. “That’s one of the benefits of having a tight-knit community that really cares.”
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