CHICAGO (AP) — Baltazar Enriquez starts most mornings with street patrols, leaving his home in Chicago’s Little Village on foot or by car to find immigration agents that have repeatedly targeted his largely Mexican neighborhood.
Wearing an orange whistle around his neck, the activist broadcasts his plans on Facebook.
“We don’t know if they’re going to come back. All we know is we’ve got to get ready,” he tells thousands of followers. “Give us any tips if you see any suspicious cars.”
Moments later, his phone buzzes.
With an unprecedented immigration crackdown nearing its third month, a growing number of Chicago residents are fighting back against what they deem a racist and aggressive overreach from federal agents. Support has swelled from established activists and everyday residents across rich suburban areas to working-class neighborhoods.
Activists are employing creative strategies to resist federal actions, including community patrols, rapid response teams, school escorts, vendor buyouts, honking horns, and blowing whistles, providing a distinctly Chicagoan approach to resisting federal policy.
“The strategy here is to make us afraid. The response from Chicago is a bunch of obscenities and ‘no,’” said Anna Zolkowski Sobor, a local resident informed by firsthand experiences when agents used tear gas and physical force on those targeted. “We are all Chicagoans who deserve to be here. Leave us alone.”
The Sound of Resistance
The unique sound of whistles has become a clear indicator of this growing resistance. Enriquez has been pivotal in instituting this method, enabling Little Village residents to communicate the presence of immigration agents.
The sound of whistles serves both as a warning and a rallying cry for observers to document incidents. Resentment toward the aggressive tactics of immigration agents is mounting, further galvanizing community response.
Activists stress non-violence in their protests, relying on their voices and the symbol of the whistle to safeguard their neighborhoods and fight back against unlawful arrests.
Community Support and Organizing Roots
Chicago’s residents exemplify a community-oriented approach to solidarity, harkening back to their Midwestern values. A notable among them, Rick Rosales, leveraged his bicycling advocacy to support local street vendors through communal bike rides, aiming to buy out their merchandise and mitigate risk.
Local initiatives thrive on mutual support, amassing networks that provide practical resources, such as rideshare gift cards for families reconsidering outings amidst the federal crackdown.
This emerging grassroots effort underscores Chicago’s historic foundation of community organizing, fostering a robust response to the federal campaign.
A Nationwide Movement
These developments have captured attention beyond Chicago; activists and organizations across the country seek to emulate these grassroots approaches. Training sessions focusing on rights awareness and local logistics have doubled in participation.
“It’s become a model for other cities,” said Alonso Zaragoza, an organizer witnessing heightened interest in immigration activism nationally.
