Community activists try to help immigrants ahead of Chicago ICE raids

Tensions have been rising in parts of Chicago as the mobilization of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents has ramped up in the Windy City — the Trump administration is calling it “Operation Midway Blitz.”

Maricela Bautista is an immigrant rights organizer who tracks and responds to ICE activity, and her teams help support local families.

“We get a tip from the hotline, or if we see something on social media, and our responsibility is to check out if it really is an ICE sighting. This is our first defense to combat fear in the community,” Bautista told CBS News.

Southside neighborhoods targeted by ICE have been noticeably quiet, as many residents fear for themselves, their friends and their family. Community organizers say they have even postponed Mexican Independence Day events to protect people.

“They are targeting everyone. If you look brown, they are targeting you. It does not matter your status,” Bautista said. “We know that they do not follow the rules. They are not doing due process, and everyone in Chicago is being targeted.”

The Department of Homeland Security says it is targeting criminals, and that the operation is being carried out in honor of Katie Abraham, who was killed in a drunk driving hit-and-run in January. In an interview with Abraham’s parents released by the agency, her father said, “Katie was killed by someone who really could have been vetted and not been in this country. And she would be here with us today.”

Alderman Anthony Napolitano, who represents Chicago’s 41st Ward, welcomes the ICE enforcement.

“Not only do we have crime rates that increase because of the illegal aliens, we’ve also had money that’s being allocated that could have gone to other tax resources,” Napolitano told CBS News.

Asked if he understood the fear communities feel over the administration’s immigration enforcement tactics, Napolitano said, “You’d have to be a knucklehead not to understand it, but at the same time, do you understand the fears that people have with this massive wave of illegals that have come through our city, our state and our country?”