Family Bordered by Fear
by Kevin G.
My parents travelled thousands of miles, crossing hundreds of roads and mountains, in search of a better life. When they arrived in Chicago, they spent most of their time looking over their shoulders, wondering if they would be taken back to Mexico. After spending 20-plus years in Chicago, their fears quelled slightly. But recently their fears resurfaced and grew exponentially.
Since the start of September 2025, during Operation Midway Blitz, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has arrested more than 3,000 immigrants in Chicago. According to the American Immigration Council, out of those 3,000 immigrants arrested, 80% of them had no criminal convictions. The people who were arrested were reported to have been mistreated by ICE in multiple ways, including being beaten and having unwarranted or excessive force used against them.
Although my parents didn’t experience this firsthand, the fact that there were so many documented cases impacted them a great deal.
“I felt like a prisoner in my own home because I was afraid to go out; I felt—well, you could say I was stressed, and even depressed,” Gloria Garcia-Gonzalez, my mother, said.
Every time they stepped out, they had to be cautious of every car and every person. They even had to be worried about going to work.
“We were all afraid, even at work. My boss even agreed to having the company doors closed—to keep them shut rather than open,” Dario Garcia, my father, said.
With ICE’s actions heavily impacting thousands of people in Chicago, the government had to act. Even before ICE became more active in Chicago, the Chicago government had been taking preventive measures to combat ICE. For example, around a week before Operation Midway Blitz took place, Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order prohibiting Chicago police from helping federal agents. Governor Pritzker also pushed for the creation of a public record of federal conduct so he can recommend policy changes.
Many people praised the government officials for these actions, including my parents.
“The governor did a good job supporting us regarding the police,” Dario said. “[He] ensured they didn't arrest so many people, because there were people who were taken away without any justification, without having committed any serious offenses.”
The people of Chicago even gathered together to show how much they hated what ICE was doing to the immigrants of Chicago. To put it into perspective, the result of an opinion survey by the Chicago Council of Global Affairs says that around 70% of Chicago's residents say they believe that ICE’S actions actually made the city less safe.
“They helped and alerted us, letting us know, ‘Immigration is around here, they're right here! My respects and thanks to everyone,” Dario said.
Even though ICE’S activities have somewhat slowed down, there's nothing that can be done about the damage that thousands of families have suffered. One thing we can learn from this experience is that Chicago is resilient, and when enough people gather together, their voices are heard.