As a federal immigration crackdown ramps up in the Chicago area, a few dozen people gathered on Thursday afternoon in downtown Aurora to protest immigration enforcement activity in the area.
Chants in Spanish and English rang out in front of the City Hall building, as cars driving along Downer Place honked their horns. Some protestors held signs, with messages like “ICE is kidnapping your neighbors” and “Be loud for those who have to stay silent.”
Earlier on Thursday, state Rep. Barbara Hernandez, D-Aurora, in a Facebook post, said that there had been several federal immigration officer sightings in the Aurora area that day.
On Thursday morning, there were federal officers present on Aurora’s East Side, around New York Street and Madison Street, according to a spokesperson from the Aurora Police Department.
At around 10:26 a.m., Aurora officers responded to a report of a disturbance in the area and found a large crowd gathered around federal officers in the roadway, according to a statement from the police department.
Aurora officers remained in the area to monitor conditions and “ensure the situation did not escalate into unlawful or unsafe activity,” per the statement. The department said it “(respects) the rights of all people to exercise their First Amendment rights.”
Officers said they ultimately saw a man break the window of a moving vehicle, and the police department took him into custody, per the statement.
Some of the protestors outside City Hall on Thursday afternoon were critical of the police department, alleging that they were assisting federal agents in their immigration enforcement.
Aurora Mayor John Laesch, however, disputed those claims, saying on Thursday that Aurora police “are in no way cooperating with” federal immigration officers and that they are upholding the state’s 2017 Trust Act.
The Trust Act generally prohibits state and local law enforcement from getting involved in deportation efforts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or other federal policing agencies on immigration matters, unless there is a federal criminal warrant involved, according to past reporting. The Aurora Police Department has previously indicated that its policies and practices are in line with the act.
Laesch said the vehicle that had its window broken on Thursday morning was a federal immigration enforcement vehicle.
A spokesperson for ICE did not immediately return a request for comment about federal immigration enforcement activity in the area on Thursday.
The mayor also spoke generally of the federal activity happening in the area, pointing to efforts the city is taking or intends to take on behalf of Aurora residents.
“Things are right now very scary in the city for a lot of people, because ICE is terrorizing our streets and the people who live here and call Aurora home,” Laesch said on Thursday.
He said the city is working with other elected officials to put together “citizen-led patrols” to “make people more aware” about federal immigration enforcement activity. They’re also working to coordinate contacting the families of any people who are detained or returning any vehicles left behind to individuals’ homes, he said.
Laesch encouraged residents who, because of their immigration status, “are not in a safe position” to stay home.
But a few dozen community members and elected officials came out on Thursday, chanting phrases like “Fuera, ICE” as cars and pedestrians passed by.
Marcie Gomez, 48, of Aurora attended the protest “just to support my people.”
Gomez said she hadn’t attended protests before, but joined on Thursday to show support for her community. She said her father, who was originally from Mexico, ultimately became a citizen of the United States.
“(If) my parents were still here, this would be real sad for my dad,” Gomez said about the recent immigration enforcement. “Because he loved his homeland, and he also loved being here.”
mmorrow@chicagotribune.com
