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.”
As an unprecedented immigration crackdown enters a third month, more Chicago residents are fighting back against what they see as a racist and aggressive overreach of the federal government. The Democratic stronghold’s response has tapped established activists and everyday residents from wealthy suburbs to working class neighborhoods.
They argue that their strategies — community patrols, rapid responders, school escorts, vendor buyouts, honking horns and blowing whistles — represent a unique Chicago response that other targeted cities are looking to model.
“The strategy here is to make us afraid. The response from Chicago is a bunch of obscenities and ‘no,’” declared Anna Zolkowski Sobor, reflecting on an incident where agents aggressively intervened in her North Side neighborhood. “We are all Chicagoans who deserve to be here. Leave us alone.”
The sound of resistance
Perhaps the clearest indicator of Chicago’s growing resistance is the sound of whistles. Enriquez is credited with being among the first to introduce the concept. For months Little Village residents have used them to broadcast the persistent presence of immigration agents.
Furious blasts both warn and attract observers who record video or criticize agents. Arrests, often treated as kidnappings due to agents covering their faces, provoke increasing crowd agitation. Immigration enforcement has met this resistance with aggression.
Immigration officers have fatally shot one man during a traffic stop and have used tear gas, rubber bullets, and physical force. Activists, however, maintain a commitment against violence.
“We don’t have guns. All we have is a whistle,” Enriquez affirmed. “That has become a method that has saved people from being kidnapped and unlawfully arrested.”
As of October, city-wide “Whistlemania” events have emerged, distributing colorful whistles through businesses and community centers. “They want that orange whistle,” said activist Gabe Gonzalez, emphasizing a shared sense of solidarity.
Midwestern sensibilities and organizing roots
In a city known for its community spirit, even with a population of 2.7 million, residents describe Chicago as a collection of small towns. The Midwest’s communal values foster quick-spreading assistance systems.
Rick Rosales, taking action against the targeting of food vendors, organized community bike rides to buy out their inventory, aimed at decreasing their risk while supporting local business.
Irais Sosa, co-founder of the apparel store Sin Titulo, initiated a program providing grocery runs and rideshare cards for community members afraid to leave their homes.
Enriquez’s Little Village Community Council also saw significant growth in their volunteer escort program, doubling the number of children they help to 32.
This grassroots organization reflects Chicago’s long-standing history of community organizing.
Tensions in the city escalated when hundreds of federal agents arrived in September, prompting a robust local response with an emergency hotline to dispatch rapid response teams focusing on information gathering and community support.
Protests have erupted too, including school walkouts led by students, highlighting the activism among younger generations.
A difficult environment
With over 3,200 arrests made during “Operation Midway Blitz,” the atmosphere remains charged. Activists and residents report various challenges, including citizens arrested for intervening during enforcement actions.
The Department of Homeland Security asserts that the operation’s aim targets serious offenders amidst hostile crowds. Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino denounced the community’s resistance, citing Chicago’s specific conditions as “a very non-permissive environment.”
Despite raises in tensions, there's talk of a potential de-escalation of operation intensity in the future, with DHS hinting at targeting other cities.
Interest nationwide
In light of the rise in Chicago’s immigrant resistance, curiosity and interest have spread to other cities. Neighborhood leaders, like Alonso Zaragoza from Belmont Cragin, have printed hundreds of anti-ICE posters and have reached out to organizations in Oregon and Missouri for guidance.
“It’s become a model for other cities,” Zaragoza noted, as various community organizers outside Chicago seek to replicate this model of grassroots activism.
Participation in training sessions surrounding immigrant rights doubled, demonstrating a nationwide interest in Chicago’s experience.
Awaiting the aftermath
As the pressure mounts, Enriquez finds himself stretched thin with responsibilities, often patrolling multiple times a day. The emotional toll is significant, as federal agents have reportedly visited his home and questioned family members.
“This has been very traumatizing,” he expressed. “It is very scary because you will remember this for the rest of your life.”
