Donald Trump promised, upon his inauguration, to massively expel illegal aliens, signing several decrees intended to facilitate the work of federal agents. The arrests have not yet been confirmed but the Democratic city of Chicago, which knows it is in the sights of the new administration, is preparing. Fear takes over “Little Village”, son quartier latino.
Alé, a mechanic, is originally from Venezuela. He is 26 years old, no papers. This morning, he didn’t drop his daughter off at school: “I didn’t want to take her because they say that now the immigration services have the right to enter schools. And I’m afraid that they will take my daughter from me… With these new laws , we illegals live in terrible fear. We came here to give our children a better life, but if they take all that away from us, what are we going to give them?
With his salary, Alé supports five people. He comes to the garage on foot, not by bus, he is too afraid of being checked: “I have to… If I don’t work, how am I going to feed my family? Biden was a relief, with him we had the possibility of a better future. There wasn’t this fear that we live in now that Trump is president again.”
On Wednesday, federal immigration agents were seen in the area. Elia Corral, the owner of the garage, who does not want to lose her worker, cheap labor, has taken the advice of the associations: not to respond to them and not to let them enter. “Anyway, I’m going to change the system: I’m going to lock the door and have a doorbell installed. That way, no one will be able to get in. I have the phone ready to film if they try… I don’t have don’t be afraid, because I’m an American citizen, the laws protect me and then, someone has to defend them!
In Little Village, the street vendors have all disappeared. The streets are strangely empty. “It reminds me of Covid”, said Jessica, coming to the hair salon to redo her hair. “I agree with deporting the delinquents. But the people who work… In Trump’s building, and in all the buildings downtown, there are a lot of Latinos. They clean the offices, they work in restaurants… Why didn’t he make a law to protect them?”
According to the governor’s office, immigration officials have a list of 2,000 people to arrest in Chicago alone.
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