Protesters at Great Lakes Naval Base say ‘No Trump, no Ice!’
North Chicago, IL – Saturday evening, September 13, around 200 protesters gathered in front of the Great Lakes Naval Base to protest the 250 Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) agents being housed there as part of the Trump administration’s escalation of ICE operations in Chicago. The Milwaukee Fights Back Coalition and the Coalition against Trump-Chicago lead the protest.
The protesters lined the street with signs in front of the naval base and made clear ICE is not welcome in Chicago.
“We are here today not only to resist but to remember. We mourn Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez, a man shot and killed by ICE agents this week in Franklin Park, Illinois. His life was taken because he dared to stand up to deportations and to the racist policies targeting immigrants,” said Sara Onitsuka, of the Milwaukee Anti War Committee, a member organization of the Milwaukee Fights Back Coalition. “We must remember that for our community, an encounter with ICE is a matter of life and death.”
Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez was murdered by ICE agents at a traffic stop in Franklin Park, a suburb of Chicago, on Friday, September 12. Villegas-Gonzalez had just dropped his daughter off at school.
“With the killing yesterday, I think we get to the heart of why we're out here. Because in the United States, in America KKK under Donald Trump, he has it that immigrant life is worth less than other life. Yeah, that brown life is worth less than white life,” said Cristobal Cavazos of DuPage County Workers Center.
Donald Trump had been threatening 250 National Guard members to be deployed in Chicago in the recent weeks, as part of his larger escalation of federal troops and ICE in Los Angeles and Washington DC. There were large protests in each of these cities you can read about that here, here, here and listen to a podcast here.
On Thursday September 11, the Trump administration backed down from sending the National Guard to Chicago and pivoted to increasing ICE’s presence, bringing 250 additional ICE agents who are housed at the Great Lakes Naval base in North Chicago, Illinois.
“I’m proud to say that Chicago has frustrated the big Cheeto! Because of the strength of our movement, he had to withdraw his threat of the National Guard!” said Joe Iosbaker of Freedom Road Socialist Organization.
The crowd was energetic, chanting, “Power to the people, no one is illegal” along with several other messages against ICE and Trump. Many passing cars honked and showed their support for the protest.
Organizers of the protest plan to continue their fight against Trump and ICE, with more protests and events planned in Milwaukee and Chicago.