Faith Leaders in Chicago They reportedly met to discuss their role in how to protect illegal immigrants from deportation.
“Advocates and local leaders warn that mass deportations could impact the families of undocumented and mixed immigrants and recent immigrants alike.” According to the Chicago Tribune.
Lincoln United Methodist Church was once a “sanctuary” for illegal immigrants. Services that accommodate Spanish speakers will now be held “almost every Sunday from now on,” the Tribune reported.
“…even this sacred place does not feel safe,” Francisca Lino told the Tribune.
Trump supporters rip Chicago mayor in the face just days before city council rejects tax hike
Thomas Homan, a senior official performing the duties of Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), speaks during a Department of Homeland Security news conference to announce year-end numbers for immigration enforcement, border security and homeland security, December 5, 2019, 2017, in Washington, D.C. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Leno, a weekly visitor to Lincoln, the wife of a US citizen and mother of six, said her family will now gather for services in front of the computer. Her lawyer told the Tribune that she had “no criminal record” and had lived in the United States for 25 years while maintaining her job.
Lino was previously arrested while crossing the southern border in 1999 and then deported to Mexico. In 2001, I crossed the border again. Eventually, she “settled at Bolingbroke, where she married her husband the same year.”
Leno's decision to watch church mass online with her family comes out of fear of being deported again Chicago's undocumented community Their advocates are preparing for the changing administration.
Other reports appear Anonymous sources claim that the Trump administration plans to rescind a long-standing policy that prevented ICE officials from making arrests of undocumented individuals at schools, houses of worship, hospitals or so-called “sensitive locations.”
According to the Tribune, Brandon Lee of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights said “the organization is preparing to target Chicago and Illinois by developing a plan to connect community members with local rapid response teams.”
“Following threats from the incoming Trump administration that Chicago will be a center for mass deportations, Emma Lozano, an activist and pastor at Lincoln United Methodist, has decided to move its Spanish services online as the church prepares to protect the undocumented immigrant community. English-language services will remain in-person,” the Tribune reported.
Border Czar Tom Homan has warned that Mayor Johnson will be prosecuted if he obstructs ICE's mass deportation efforts. (Reuters)
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Mexicans make up the largest percentage of immigrants in the United States
Chicago leaders have stated that the Mexican community will be hardest hit. Chicago also has a large community of Venezuelans, who are said to make up a large portion of the roughly 50,000 migrants who have crossed the southern U.S. border in the past two years.
Trump's pick for border czarTom Homan vowed to go after Chicago with tough enforcement as he criticized Illinois political leaders.
Speaking at a Northwest Side GOP holiday party last month, Homan detailed his plan, vowing to check the status of asylum seekers and arrest anyone who provides sanctuary to illegal immigrants.
“Chicago is in trouble because your mayor is bad and your governor is bad,” Homan said at the ceremony.
He also invited Governor J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson to meet with him and negotiate the plan.
Furthermore, Homan warned that Mayor Johnson would be prosecuted if he did so Obstructing ICE's mass deportation efforts.
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As the migrant crisis continues and crime surges in the Windy City, Mayor Johnson enacts a 60-day shelter evacuation policy for immigrants. (Getty Images/AP)
A statement from Pritzker's office, obtained by a local Fox affiliate, said: “It is no secret that Illinois will face countless baseless attacks over the next four years from the Trump administration. Instead of responding to every ridiculous bluster… “A Trump follower, Governor Pritzker is focused on what he was focused on during Trump’s first term: leading our state with efficiency rather than chaos.”
Neither Johnson nor Pritzker's offices immediately responded to a request for comment.
Fox News Digital previously reported on Chicago residents' criticism Mayor Johnson Other city officials accused them of “ignoring” citizens' constitutional rights, complained about tax increases, and demanded more transparency about how the city is handling the migrant crisis.
