CHICAGO — Religious leaders, school administrators and teachers in this holy city said they will fight to protect their communities after the Trump administration said it would end a longstanding policy that allowed federal immigration officials to visit churches, schools And stopped arresting immigrants in hospitals.
“It feels like a battle, to be honest,” said the Reverend Kenneth Phelps, who has helped refugees in Chicago with housing and resources in recent years. “So we’re preparing for an attack, we’re not just going to wait until they do it. We’re being aggressive and training people who are in our community to do this. How to deal with
The preparations are in response to the Department of Homeland Security’s announcement Tuesday that it is ending a policy that limits the ability of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to arrest undocumented people at so-called sensitive locations, including Places of worship, schools and hospitals
“Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest. The Trump administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement agencies, and instead trusts them to use common sense.” DHS said in a statement announcing the decision.
NBC News reported last month that the Trump administration would withdraw the ban.
Sanctuary cities such as Chicago have been at the center of the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration, and many here expect the new administration to step up its efforts.
“We’re ready for it,” said the Rev. Beth Brown, pastor of Lincoln Park Presbyterian Church. Brown said she believes local policies will continue to protect the places she still considers safe. “ICE cannot enter our building without a signed court warrant,” even with the policy change, she said.
Chicago, like other sanctuary cities, has policies protecting immigrant communities and limiting the ability of local law enforcement to assist in matters related to federal civil immigration law.
“I can tell you right now, we don’t have criminals hiding in our church building. Most schools, if not all, don’t have criminals hiding in their buildings,” Brown said. said “It’s a lot of rhetoric designed to terrorize people, especially immigrants.”
Chicago Public Schools also pointed to the city’s ordinance in a statement to NBC News on Tuesday that said schools would be protected despite the change in DHS policy.
“ICE agents are not permitted access to CPS facilities unless they provide their credentials, reason for requesting access, and a criminal court warrant signed by a federal judge,” the school district said in a statement. The school district said in a statement.
It added that over the past month, CEO Pedro Martinez held a virtual meeting to support migrant students and provided guidance to all school principals in the district, as they continued to update families.
“We are committed to ensuring that our schools remain the safest places for all students and that our focus remains on providing superior pre-K-12 education,” the statement said. went
However, in a statement, the Chicago Teachers Union said the school district had failed to provide requested training “to protect school communities from unauthorized ICE agent entry into school buildings.”
“Unfortunately, despite our requests and efforts, this requirement has not been met and we have sent recent communications to the CEO to comply with CPS’ contractual commitments,” the union said.
“Despite not receiving training from the district, we are training our members to form ‘sanctuary teams’ and work in each school to ensure teachers know what to do in the event of a raid. and they are ready to protect our students and their rights.” Union said. “Students should know that one of the safest places they can be is their school.”
Some religious leaders are training their congregations to inform immigrants of their rights and advising them to avoid personal gatherings that might attract attention.
Stephanie Clark, director of strategic engagement at World Relief Chicagoland, a Christian humanitarian organization, said there is widespread fear among immigrants in local congregations.
Last week, she said, dozens of faith leaders met with a World Relief Chicagoland attorney to discuss the possibility of ICE coming to their door and the impact on their members. Clark said the group is preparing and encouraging immigrants by giving them cards with important pertinent information about what to do if they get caught in an immigration raid, including about guardianship of their children. i
Phelps said that, after consulting with his attorney, he has decided to hold his bilingual Sunday service in English and Spanish in person. He said he and other community leaders are planning what to do if ICE comes to their places of worship.
The Reverend said he and others were concerned not only about congregations who were undocumented, but also others who have open asylum cases or have been caught up in temporary protected status raids.
“I’m worried because I don’t trust the administration,” he said.
But the Reverend said he was choosing not to focus on his worries and concerns, but on “expanding educational opportunities and preparing for the worst.”
