Chicago, IL – Over 20,000 Chicagoans marched in downtown Chicago, Sunday, January 25, through the cold and heavy snow, in response to the brutal murder of Alex Pretti and the ongoing occupation of Minneapolis by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The protest, organized by the Coalition Against the Trump Agenda (CATA), demanded charges for Jonathan Ross and all DHS agents involved in murders, that Congress cut all funding to ICE, and an end to collaboration between the Chicago Police Department and ICE.

The fire of resistance is burning everywhere

Lawerence Benito, the executive director of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) said, “When Silverio was murdered here in Chicago, when Keith Porter was murdered in LA, when Renee Good was murdered, and yesterday, when they murdered Alex Pretti in Minneapolis – we know that these are not isolated incidents. Over 50 people have died at the hands of ICE.”

Mayor Brandon Johnson marched alongside protesters.

Mayor Johnson stated, “Let's send this message to Minneapolis: Chicago stands with Minneapolis. We stand with this country to defend the honor of working people, Black people, brown people, white people, Asians. We are coming together as one to defend our humanity. Let them hear you, Chicago! Let’s keep organizing, let's keep pushing, and let's stand together.”

Illinois's 25th District Senator Karina Villa drew connections between the murder of Laquan McDonald and the murder of Renee Nicole Good. Villa stated, “This is a state inflicted violence. This is systemic abusive power. This is a government that is recklessly spending instead of investing in education, healthcare and housing.”

Frank Chapman, field organizer of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR) said, “Our fellow freedom fighters in Minnesota, they are the hope on the horizon. They have shown us the golden dawn of another day. And we're not talking about them same old bullshit days of racism. We’re talking about a new day of freedom for all the people! That's what our fight is about. We are not just trying to save a democracy that wasn’t working in the first damn place – that ain’t what we doing. We're fighting for a system that’s gonna work for all of us, because we gonna make it work.”

“We should not be paying for our own occupation!” said Diane Castro of the Chicago Teachers Union.

Gianna Escareno, one of the co-chairs of CATA and outreach chair of the Immigrant Rights Working Committee (IRWC) of CAARPR, highlighted the importance of broad solidarity and coalition across different struggles, such as the movements for Black and Chicano liberation, the movement to free Palestine, women's rights, LGBTQ rights, and immigrant rights movements.

Escareno stated, “We know that Bovino is threatening to send at least 1000 CBP agents to Chicago this March. And just like we followed Minnesota’s lead during the George Floyd uprising, we will follow their lead once again in resisting Trump’s attacks! There is a fire of resistance burning everywhere!”

The crowd marched down Michigan Avenue, taking major streets and gathering supporters as they chanted “We will say it every time, resisting ICE is not a crime!”

The march unified with a faith leader-led vigil at Federal Plaza for Alex Pretti and all victims of ICE before ending with a rallying cry, “We’re not cold, we're not tired, we won’t stop ‘til ICE is fired!”

#ChicagoIL #IL #ImmigrantRights #ICE #CATA #CAARPR #BrandonJohnson #Feature

Chicago, IL – On January 23, Chicagoans across the city targeted various Target locations to protest the corporation’s support for ICE terror.

The Coalition Against the Trump Agenda (CATA) led and mobilized people to the Target in Hyde Park. This included members from the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR), Mexican Students de Aztlan (MeSA), U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), Anti-War Committee Chicago (AWC) and more.

Outside the Target store in Hyde Park, Kobi Guillory, a member of CTU stated, “We are here in solidarity with our siblings in Minnesota who are right now 100K strong outside of the Target Center saying that Target should stop helping ICE. Target should stop its complicity with the violence that ICE is inflicting on Black and brown communities. Just the other day, Target employees in Minnesota were abducted by ICE in a Target. Did Target take a stand to defend their employees? Did they take a stand to defend the communities who make Target’s profits?”

Guillory continued, “We are demanding that Target honor the Fourth Amendment that you cannot be subject to unlawful search and seizure inside your workplace. This is illegal, what ICE is doing. We the people are going to use our people and we are going to force these corporations and elected officials to do the right thing.”

Inside the Target store, protesters delivered a list of demands to the store manager, including, “Call for an end to the ICE surge in Minnesota, and for ICE to leave the state; we want Target to affirm the Fourth Amendment; we want Target to post signage prohibiting ICE from entering their buildings, and we want Target to publicly call on congress to stop funding ICE.”

#ChicagoIL #IL #ImmigrantRights #ICE #CATA #CTU #CAARPR #MESA #USPCN #AWCChicago

Chicago, IL – On December 20, over 175 people gathered in the Chicago Teachers Union Hall to stand in solidarity with Gustavo Petro and the people of Colombia as their country faces an intensification of U.S. aggression.

Petro has had his visa revoked by the Trump administration, and the country is seeing attacks in the form of sanctions, tariffs and military threats. These attacks have been because of his un-fearful stance against U.S. imperialism, from calling out the U.S./Israel’s genocide in Gaza to defending the sovereignty of Latin American nations. Petro is a popular and progressive internationalist.

In attendance were members of the Colombian consulate, progressive Chicago politicians, and leaders in the people's struggle, speaking on what Colombia needs from the people of Chicago.

Our solidarity must be concrete as well

“We must stand in solidarity with Gustavo Petro and the beautiful people of Colombia, as they have stood with Palestinians in Gaza and beyond, with forces fighting for climate and environmental justice, as they have stood with their neighbors in Venezuela who are in the crosshairs of the U.S. military,” said Hatem Abudayyeh from the United States Palestinian Community Network (USPCN).

Abudayyeh continued, “Together we will reject sanctions, threats, intervention and war against the people of Colombia.”

Daniel Garcia-Peña, the Colombian ambassador to the United States, spoke on the achievements that Colombia has made under the leadership of Petro. He also spoke of the need for solidarity with the nation during rising tensions. Peña stated, “We are very concerned about what is happening in the Caribbean. It’s a clear sign of how the U.S. is threatening not only Venezuela but all of Latin America, which continue to be seen as a backyard that can be trampled on.”

Garcia-Peña noted “But me and President Petro have been clear, times are different. Colombians and Latin Americans are not going to stand for interventionism as they may have happened in the past. We need each other's solidarity. Palestinians can count on Colombians, but we also need the world to stand with Colombians and our Latin American neighbors in these trying times.”

Speakers from the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR), the Anti-War Committee (AWC) and the Coalition Against the Trump Agenda (CATA) also spoke, representing the progressive movements which they work in.

Alderperson Byron Sicho-Lopez echoed the message of late Black Panther Party Chairman Fred Hampton on the need for solidarity. Lopez introduced the resolution commemorating the historic 2024 visit of Petro to Chicago – a city that, much like Colombia, is a beacon of hope in the resistance against the reactionary Trump administration.

#ChicagoIL #IL #International #Colombia #AntiWarMovement #CAARPR #AWCChicago #CATA #CTU #Labor #Teachers

Chicago, IL – A fiery rally took place in freezing weather beside the Little Village Arch on Saturday, December 13. Protesters commemorated Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe by demanding an end to deportations and ICE abductions, justice for victims of ICE, and legalization for all immigrants living in the U.S. as a part of a national weekend of action called by the Legalization for All Network.

Little Village, or La Villita, is a predominantly Mexicano and Chicano neighborhood, which has been a consistent target of ICE since the beginning of Trump’s operation Midway Blitz.

“La virgencita is a symbol for many Mexicanos and Chicanos in the U.S., a symbol of hope and strength as our communities face oppression, so on this Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe we are demanding legalization for all, an end to deportations, ICE out of Chicago, and justice for victims of ICE like our brother who was murdered, Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez,” explained Gianna Escareno, one of the cochairs of the Coalition Against the Trump Agenda (CATA).

Escareno recounted the various tactics used by Chicagoans to resist ICE, including know your rights trainings, rapid response networks and mass confrontations. She encouraged everyone in attendance to join an organization and prepare for Bovino and thousands of ICE agents who are rumored to return to Chicago in March.

“Aquí con frío, pero aquí estamos, y no nos vamos. En la historia de la humanidad siempre existe la lucha entre pobres y ricos (It’s cold here but despite this, we’re here and we’re not leaving. Throughout the history of humanity, there has always been a fight between the poor and the rich),” said Irma Morales with Mientras Haya Amor Hay Esperanza, a Little Village-based organization.

“Afortunadamente, hemos aprendido a resistir (Fortunately, we have learned to resist),” Morales continued. She went on to call for solidarity between all oppressed people, a call echoed by other speakers.

“No one is illegal on stolen land,” affirmed Jasmine Smith, one of the co-chairs of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR) and a leader in the movement to free incarcerated police torture survivors.

“When they attack one of us they attack all of us. We have to come together no matter what color you are because we have a common enemy,” Smith added.

“These are not just raids, but imperial invasions,” Moy Hernandez with New Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) linked the domestic struggles with the international fight against oppression.

“Many people came here to flee the effects of U.S. imperialism, and as a result have spent holidays in cages away from their families, and have suffered inhumane treatment which will never be forgotten,” said Amira Altamimi with the Arab American Action Network (AAAN).

Yusuf Masood with the Anti War Committee (AWC) spoke about an emergency protest in Federal Plaza planned for the day the U.S. escalates its aggression against Venezuela into a full war. He cited decades of sanctions together with the murder of over 80 fishermen and the theft of an oil tanker headed to Cuba as a pattern of escalating imperialist attacks.

“Just like how Trump failed in Chicago, he will fail in Palestine and Venezuela. Oppressed people around the world cry in unison: down with Donald Trump! Down with U.S. imperialism!” Masood declared. He also called on people to attend the Illinois State Board of Investment (ISBI) meeting on December 19 at 8 a.m. to demand divestment from the genocide and occupation in Palestine.

The emcee, Maya Sanchez with the CAARPR Immigrant Rights Working Committee, gave out the phone number for the Family Support Network, a hotline run by the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR).

“If you see ICE, call 855-435-7693,” Sanchez said to close out the rally.

#ChicagoIL #IL #ImmigrantRights #L4A #CATA #AAAN #SDS #AWC

Chicago, IL – On No Kings Day, October 18, 250,000 Chicagoans mobilized on the streets of downtown Chicago against the reactionary Trump administration.

Over 10% of Chicago’s population came out to demand an end to the attacks on working and oppressed people in the city. They called for an end to the federal occupation, and a stop to Trump’s attempts to centralize power in the hands of his administration. Chicagoans joined millions across the United States.

Brian Young of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) spoke to a crowd of protestors, saying, “Trump wants to come to intimidate us, but we say hell no. Trump is just like any other oppressor. When the slave owners thought that they could hold us down, we had rebellions throughout the plantations. We rose and overthrew that motherfucker. Then we had a racist backlash and gave us Jim Crow. And guess what we did, we took that shit down too.”

Young continued, saying, “What does that mean? As long as they come and try to oppress us, we will stand the fuck up and resist!”

The Black progressive mayor of Chicago, Brandon Johnson, spoke to the hundreds of thousands that assembled at Grant Park, urging Chicagoans to a general strike as Trump’s attacks continue to come down on working and oppressed people.

Johnson stated, “If my ancestors, as slaves, can lead the greatest general strike in the history of this country, taking it to the ultra-rich and big corporations, we can do the same thing. I’m calling on Black people, white people, brown people, Asian people, immigrants, gay people throughout this country to stand up against tyranny. To send a clear message, we are going to make them pay their fair share in taxes, to fund our schools, our jobs, healthcare and transportation!”

After the program in Grant Park, people dispersed into the streets of downtown Chicago. Sections of the march were led by 50501, Indivisible Chicago, and the Coalition Against the Trump Agenda (CATA).

#ChicagoIL #IL #PeoplesStruggles #NoKings #Trump #CATA #Indivisible #ImmigrantRights #Feature

Chicago, IL – On Thursday, October 9, Mexican Students de Aztlán (MeSA) at the University of Illinois Chicago organized an emergency protest after the ICE kidnapping of two women on campus.

The day before, around 2:50 p.m., students and staff watched as ICE agents dragged the two women out of the car, slammed them onto the pavement and kneeled on their backs as they bound their arms.

This violent abduction took place in front of the Student Services Building, which houses the Rigo Padilla-Pérez Undocumented Student Resource Center. The center offers services like Know Your Rights training, emergency planning support, campus and community resource workshops, policy updates, and referrals to legal benefits and mental health services.

The UIC Police Department stood by and watched the kidnapping take place, refusing to release any public advisory regarding the detainments and presence of ICE on campus. Later in the day, it was reported that the two women were released from custody, but the events shook the UIC community, leaving students and staff scared and angry. At this time, UIC still has not made any public statements.

Over 200 students were mobilized with the support of New Students for a Democratic Society (New SDS) at UIC, Latine Student Coalition (LSC), Union of Puerto Rican Students (UPRS), Jewish Student Collective (JSC), Anakbayan at UIC, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO).

Students took the quad demanding ICE off campus with chants like “No more violence, no more lies! Time for ICE to say goodbye!”

Students speak out against ICE

Katherine Campos, the secretary of the LSC and an intern at the university’s Latino Cultural Center, stated, “I know I am not alone when I say that I live in a constant state of fear. Fear that one day my parents will be taken from me. When one child of immigrants cries, all children of immigrants cry. We deserve to live without fear. We deserve to live. I know it's scary to be living in times of violence, but we must be loud. We must resist.”

“And then I find out to see at least a dozen armed ICE officers blocking off 39th and Kedzie, rolling out a tank to terrorize my neighbors, using militarized tactical vehicles, helicopters, and then releasing tear-gassing and pepper spray on my neighbors and community members who were unarmed!” recounted Gianna Escareno, co-chair of the Coalition Against the Trump Agenda (CATA) and member of New SDS at UIC, on her experience with the standoff between ICE agents and community members on the Southwest Side.

Rodrigo Cortes Espinoza, a member of MeSA and an organizer from the Little Village/Pilsen area, shared his experience speaking to UIC PD, “They showed no concern for the people who were kidnapped nor any intention to share a mass email. This type of negligence will not stand. We demand that the university clearly states their position of defending students’ safety.”

Member of FRSO Gio Araujo told the crowd, “Hermanas, hermanos, right now is the time of open struggle, right now is the time where we leave the defensive and become the offensive. Right now we need to be standing up to these occupations. We need to be standing up to these troops. If these motherfuckers are taking our family members, we’re going to fight back! Right?”

Luna Fernanda stated, “So long as I have a voice, I will use it to speak for the people who need to be heard. We will not fall. I know that the oppressors can hear us. I hope the screams and cries of our people haunt them at night! No human being is illegal!”

The students finished with a march to University Hall to demand ice off campus and sanctuary campus now!

At the end of the protest, organizers urged students to get involved with the student movement on campus.

#ChicagoIL #IL #ImmigrantRights #StudentMovement #CATA #SDS #Feature

Chicago, IL – On October 8, 7000 Chicagoans mobilized in the Loop to demand an end to the occupation of the city by ICE and the National Guard.

The thousands of people coming out on a Wednesday evening shows that the momentum of the resistance against Trump’s occupation is not slowing down. Chicago is in the center of this country’s fight back against Trump’s reactionary agenda, alongside LA and DC.

“We must build the largest united front against the invasion of our city and state. We need to escalate our defense and go on the offensive! To block the movement of the National Guard and shut down ICE operations,” opened Husam Marajda of the United States Palestinian Community Network (USPCN). He urged people to join the movement and get involved with an organization.

“What we are seeing is an administration that is sending troops in to scare us into silence. To punish dissent. And we will not allow that here in the city of Chicago,” said Jessie Fuentes, the progressive Puerto Rican alderperson of the 26th ward of Chicago. On October 3, Fuentes was violently arrested by racist ICE agents after she had confronted them over planned kidnappings of people in the Humboldt Park Hospital. Fuentes stood in solidarity with protesters and has promised to continue fighting for immigrants in the City Council.

Frank Chapman, executive director of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, spoke last at the rally. He challenged the crowd, stating, “We have to stop these ICE agents.” The ICE occupation has killed Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez. This past weekend, Marimar Martinez, a U.S. citizen, was shot by federal agents, but survived. Chapman addressed these acts, saying, “We have to use every means necessary to stop those who come here to kill us; who come here to occupy.”

Chapman finished with, “We had a peaceful demonstration, but when we’re violently attacked, we have the right to defend ourselves!”

Protesters marched down Michigan Avenue, making it clear that Chicagoans are not licking boots, and they are ready to take down Trump and his long repressive agenda.

Join the resistance!

The Coalition Against the Trump Agenda (CATA) is a coalition of over 80 organizations building a united front against the reactionary Trump administration. The Trump administration is coming after all sectors of the people’s movements. It’s the coalition’s goal to unite these movements in action against the reactionary Trump agenda.

Join the coalition and help build the fight back at coalitionagainsttrumpagenda.org.

#ChicagoIL #IL #ImmigrantRights #CATA #ICE #Feature

West Chicago, IL – Cientos de manifestantes marcharon a través del oeste de Chicago en la mañana del sábado 4 de octubre para denunciar los ataques de ICE contra Chicago y los suburbios circundantes, a los que el régimen de Trump refiere como “Operación Midway Blitz.”

Los manifestantes habían planeado converger en una gasolinera local antes de reunirse en la oficina del alcalde, pero ICE atacó a los manifestantes poco antes de las 9 a.m. Tres miembros del grupo que intervinieron cuando ICE tomó a dos hombres que estaban en la gasolinera fueron rociados con pimienta.

Redes de respuesta rápida fueron alertadas rápidamente, y cientos de personas se movilizaron al sitio del ataque, donde comenzó una manifestación bajo banderas de México, Puerto Rico y otras banderas de las Américas.

Entre los oradores se destacaron Cristobal Cavazos de la Patrulla Popular Casa DuPage, Joe Iosbaker de la Coalición contra la agenda de Trump (CATA), el alcalde del oeste de Chicago Daniel Bovey y los líderes religiosos Pastor Roberto Moreno-Cruz y el Reverendo Avani Christian.

Hablando por la Coalición Contra la Agenda de Trump, Joe Iosbaker refirió a Silverio Villegas-González, quien fue asesinado por ICE mientras dejaba sus niños en la escuela en Franklin Park, como el primer mártir de esta nueva lucha que se está tomando. 

Iosbaker dijo, “Él es el primer mártir de este movimiento! ¡Nosotros somos trabajadores! Todos aquí son trabajadores como Silverio, él es nuestro mártir. Como los mártires del Primer de Mayo, él es el primero, y los tenemos que recordar, y tenemos que luchar por él, luchar por la justicia!” 

Los comentarios del alcalde del oeste de Chicago empezaron con noticias de que dos hombres secuestrados por ICE estaban libres. El alcalde luego dijo que el oeste de Chicago tenía que aprender de su historia, cuando la comunidad Mexicana fue diezmada en los 1950s, aludiendo a la “Operación Mojado”, un campaña de la época de Eisenhower donde muchos de inmigrantes indocumentados y ciudadanos estadounidenses fueron deportados a México. 

Cristóbal Caravos, quien a dirigido las Patrullas Populares del el Centro de Trabajo Casa DuPage, reafirmó la necesidad de la organización en la liberación de los dos hombres, diciendo, “No creo que es coincidencia que ICE dejo ir a esos hombres, porque había gente ahí, y más gente puede estar ahí. Eso es lo que queremos hacer con nuestras marchas, con nuestra Patrullas Populares, con nuestras redes de respuesta rápida.”

#WestChicagoIL #IL #ImmigrantRights #ICE #CATA

Chicago, IL – The Coalition Against the Trump Agenda (CATA) and the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) mobilized more than 500 people on Saturday, September 27, to protest and march against the Trump administration’s ramped up attacks from the Department of Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE).

The protest took place in Daley Plaza, directly across from the office of Cook County States Attorney Eileen Burke, who was a primary target of the protest, organizers said. Top of the protest’s list of demands for Burke is charging the ICE officers involved in the recent murder of Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez, who was killed in an altercation resulting from a traffic stop shortly after he had dropped his daughter off at school in the nearby suburb of Franklin Park.

Additionally, protesters demanded Burke close and launch an investigation into the Broadview ICE Staging Facility, where detainees are being held for days and sometimes weeks with no access to beds, showers, menstrual products or adequate meals. Recent protests attempting to stop ICE vehicles from leaving the Broadview facility with deportees have faced increasing violence from ICE, including the use of pepper balls and tear gas.

In contrast to Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, who has stood up to Trump’s bully tactics by defending the Sanctuary City Ordinance and ordering Chicago Police Department not to work with ICE, Eileen Burke has said that she will cooperate with ICE in prosecuting immigrants.

While Johnson’s defense of Immigrants and large protests in Chicago have limited some ICE activity in the city, the surrounding suburbs have been hit hard. The United States Palestinian Community Network (USPCN) and the Arab American Action Network (AAAN) have been working with ICIRR to develop and expand multilingual rapid response networks in those suburbs that have large Arab and Latine populations.

Veronica Castro, deputy director of ICIRR, addressed the crowd and said their rapid response teams are working constantly to train families on their rights and monitor ICE activity.

“There are hundreds, if not thousands of folks that would be here with us right now if they weren't out doing the critical work making sure our communities are safe,” she said.

Castro reminded the crowd that if anyone sees ICE in their neighborhood, they should contact ICIRR's family support hotline at (855) 435-7693.

Nazek Sankari, a leading organizer with USPCN, described the importance of the door-to-door outreach in vulnerable neighborhoods. “The harassment of our communities by Trump is meant to fracture, intimidate and frighten us, but it has failed,” Sankari said.

“Instead it has mobilized our multilingual communities to organize and rise together stronger than ever to protect one another. We in Chicago will never abandon our people, and we will never back down in the face of racists and white supremacists.”

Sankari also connected the fight against ICE to the struggle of the Palestinian people against the Zionist, apartheid state of Israel, and said Trump’s attacks will not distract the movement from the U.S. support for the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

In her first week in office, Burke pardoned an officer the day before he was meant to go to court for assaulting a teen in Oak Lawn. “Burke failed to protect our communities from harm when, in her first week in office, she dropped charges against racist white Oak Lawn Police Officer Patrick O'Donnell,” Sankari said. In 2021, O’Donnell and two other cops beat then-17-year old Palestinian youth Hadi Abuatelah within an inch of his life.

Burke has also reversed efforts by the previous states attorney to free some survivors of torture. The rally embraced the demand of the Campaign to Free Incarcerated Survivors of Torture (CFIST) to free the wrongfully convicted.

“Eileen Burke has made it clear from day one where she stands,” said Jasmine Smith, co-chair of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, and a leader of the CFIST campaign. “She does not stand on the side of justice.”

Burke has limited the ability of the wrongful convictions unit within the SAO to investigate and reverse the hundreds of cases of wrongful conviction that have earned Chicago the title of torture capital of the United States.

“If she’s not going to do her job, it’s up to us to get her out of her position,” Smith said, urging the crowd to keep up the fight against Trump and those like Burke who greenlight his attacks against our communities. “We will win!”

Smith also pushed back on the racist narratives that scapegoat immigrants. “They say that these illegal immigrants should not be here, but we say that no one is illegal on stolen land,” she said.

As protesters marched through downtown, they were repeatedly met with cheers and pumped fists of support from bystanders.

One protester, Chis Ziegler said, “I’m here to protest what ICE is doing. They have been taking people off the streets.” He continued, “I like that the protest encourages people to join organizations. We need a coordinated effort.”

#ChicagoIL #IL ImmigrantRights #ICIRR #CATA

Chicago, IL – On September 9, 3200 people from across Chicago came together to protest the heightened ICE operations in the area in what is dubbed “Operation Midway Blitz.” This protest was organized by both the Coalition Against the Trump Agenda (CATA) and the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR). The mobilization showed a powerful resistance against ICE and possible National Guard in Chicago. 

It is our turn to resist!

“What is happening is terrible for all of our neighbors and families,” said a member of Anakbayan Chicago and Tanggol Migrante Network. “The fact that I see all of you here today taking the time and energy shows me the true power of the people, with more education, more collaboration, and a concerted effort we can push back against the administration, push back against ICE, and begin to address critically the root causes of migration.”

The progressive mayor of Chicago, Brandon Johnson, has taken a public stand against Trump with many statements showcasing his opposition. He has thoroughly defended the sanctuary city status of Chicago. Two weeks ago, he also signed an executive order that seeks to limit federal agents activities in Chicago by banning the use of face masks by agents, something which ICE agents are notorious for.

The protest continued to echo the power of visible resistance and how, despite communities being in fear, coming out to show solidarity is important. A representative from Centro de Trabajadores stated, “When ICE and this administration changes their tactics, we change our strategy and we organize and we fight back. She continued, “We need to come out and continue to stand up against the actions they continue to do to harass us in our own communities.”

“The same states attorney that refuses to charge criminal cops for their abuse against our people also refuses to free those tortured and wrongfully convicted, and is now expressing a willingness to work with the racist Trump administration in carrying out their campaign of terror,” said Alec Ozawa, co-chair of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR). He highlighted how Eileen O’Neill Burke, the new Illinois states attorney has expressed a willingness to work with Donald Trump and go back to a policy of conservative prosecuting.

Rania Salem from the Arab American Action Network (AAAN) highlighted Trump's recent threats to deploy the National Guard against Chicago, stating, “He threatens us with war, lies about it, and then verbally attacks a reporter who calls him out because he is exactly who we say he is, a racist, sexist moron who continues to control a political party and political system that is rotten to the core.” 

Salem continued, “In the past two months we have seen brave resistance from LA, DC, Miami, New York and New Jersey and now it is our turn!”

After the program of speakers, thousands marched in the loop, chanting, “Chinga la migra!” and “Adelante, adelante, la lucha es constante!”

Join the resistance!

Donald Trump so far has been unsuccessful in deploying the National Troops to Chicago. Our movements and these mobilizations play a key role in that. This is the power of people daring to struggle, taking to the streets and fighting back! Anyone interested in getting involved or learning more about the movement against Trump can check out CATA at: https://www.coalitionagainsttrumpagenda.org/ 

#ChicagoIL #IL #ImmigrantRights #CATA #ICIRR #CAARPR #AAAN #CDT

Chicago, IL – 150 striking workers at the Mauser Industrial Packaging facility in Little Village were joined on September 8 by activists from the Coalition Against the Trump Agenda (CATA) to support the months-long strike campaign for a decent contract.

Stronger protections against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are top of the priority list for the striking workers of Teamster Local 705, 90% of whom are Latino immigrant workers. Other key demands include fair wages to keep pace with inflation, consistent hours and breaks on the job, and employer-provided uniforms to protect employees from bringing toxic chemicals home to their families.

Despite this being the first strike for most of the Local 705 workers, the fight has been consistent and militant, attracting support across Chicago. The entire facility’s workforce has struck un-broken for three months, in which time they have received visits from local elected officials including Mayor Brandon Johnson, as well as picket support from other unions including the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE) and the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU).

The Mauser Teamsters were featured in the program of the recent Workers Over Billionaires protest organized by the CTU and the Chicago Federation of Labor at the beginning of the month, where 10,000 Chicagoans joined with broad labor forces to protest against Trump’s attacks on all working and oppressed people.

Richard Berg, a co-chair of Labor Against the Trump Agenda, addressed the striking workers on behalf of the CATA contingent who marched several blocks to join the picket this morning. He stressed the importance of standing with workers who are fighting back in this time of heightened repression from Trump and the federal government.

“Chicago is with you,” Berg said. “What you’re standing up for is so important.”

The support was received with enthusiastic applause from the workers, who have come under attack from right-wing forces including Fox News because of the fact that most of the workers are immigrants fighting for better conditions and protections from ICE.

“We feel first surprise, then gratitude,” said Arturo Landa, a steward for the local who has worked at Mauser for 12 years. Landa described the fear his coworkers feel witnessing ICE raids in their community and said it’s important for their fight to connect with other organizations and social movements fighting back against the ruling class.

The broader implications for the Teamsters 705 strike are also clear to Nicolas Coronado, the chief negotiator between Mauser and the local. Only ten of the 120 Mauser facilities are unionized, which, for Coronado, means that other workplaces are watching closely to see what gains can be won from an organized workplace on strike. If the Mauser Teamsters contract campaign in Chicago is successful, it could inspire other Mauser facilities to unionize and fight for their own contracts. “This fight is existential for the company,” he said.

Since Trump’s threats to increase the presence of ICE and federal troops in Chicago, the Mauser workers moved their picket into a rented lot across the street from the packaging facility. The wire fences surrounding the lot are fixed with dozens of signs warning federal agents that they do not have consent to enter the property unless they have a valid judicial warrant.

Chicago Jobs With Justice (CJWJ), a worker’s center that has worked closely with the anti-Trump coalition, has been organizing volunteers to conduct ICE watches at as many picket sites as possible since the Teamsters reached out to them for support.

Protecting the rights of vulnerable workers on strike is especially important at a time when labor forces are needed in the broader fight against Trump’s attacks on all working and oppressed people, according to CJWJ’s executive director, Jill Manrique.

“I don’t think there’s any way for us to win unless we’re unified and fighting this in solidarity,” Manrique said. “We’re never going to agree on everything. But, we can agree on the fact that our rights are being taken away, and workers are at the center of it.”

Workers interested in getting involved in the movement against Trump are encouraged to visit coalitionagainsttrump.org to learn more.

#ChicagoIL #IL #Labor #ImmigrantRights #CATA #LATA #Teamsters

Chicago, IL – On September 6, 8000 Chicagoans rallied and marched downtown to demand that no federal troops be deployed in the city.

The demonstration, led by the Coalition Against the Trump Agenda (CATA) in partnership with the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR), showed broad opposition to the incoming illegal military occupation and made clear that Chicagoans are not afraid to exercise their democratic right to resist.

No Trump, no troops

“The Trump administration has been escalating their illegal attacks on the city,” said Veronica Castro, ICIRR’s deputy director.

Castro described recent incidents of ICE activity, emboldened by the incoming federal forces, including masked agents targeting the domestic violence courthouse for arrests.

“We saw just this morning they chased someone down at a supermarket while they were out shopping with their family,” Castro said. “But we aren’t here to just name what is happening, we are here to show what we are going to do about it!”

”We need to make that criminal in the White House hear us,” said Kobi Guillory of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR). “We need to make those terrorists, those criminals, those troops, who are here to harass and arrest our Black and brown babies, we need to shake their boots, until they get the fuck out of this city!”

Guillory continued, “Right now, when there are troops coming to attack our Black and brown children, we have to fight. We have to stand up together, and we have to fight. Because we cannot hide our heads in the sand, we can’t hide from this situation. We have to stand up, and fight back!”

Nazek Sankari, representing the Chicago Coalition for Justice in Palestine (CJP), stated, ”These racists are at it again, coming here to Chicago, in an attempt to punish one of the U.S.’s most progressive cities with one of the most progressive mayors, who emerged from the fighting CTU [Chicago Teachers Union] and the people’s movement,” Sankari said.

Sankari continued, “Our communities, organizations, big institutions, union and workers, immigrants and Black Liberation leaders all refuse to bow down to their white supremacist agenda! We will continue fighting for our neighbors, and our communities!”

After the rally, protesters marched north on Michigan Avenue, chanting “Chicago isn’t licking boots, no Trump no troops!, “All power to the people, no human is illegal!” and “Donald Trump you racist clown, troops ain’t welcomed in this town!” The protesters passed various federal buildings and the Trump Tower, making themselves visible and loud.

Fight Trump’s escalating attacks against working and oppressed people

That same day in the morning, Trump had tweeted out an AI image of himself in front of a burning Chicago, writing, “I love the smell of deportations in the morning. Chicago about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR.”

The picture used imagery of the 1979 film, Apocalypse Now, a film set in the U.S. invasion of Vietnam. The image also has Trump wearing a Confederate hat. Trump is open about his racist agenda. He has openly declared war on the working and oppressed peoples of Chicago.

Yet as the attacks from the ruling class are escalating, the progressive Brandon Johnson administration continues to take a fighting stance against Trump. Johnson signed an executive order barring the Chicago Police Department from working with ICE or federal troops and has called on Chicagoans to take to the streets to protest what is an illegal military occupation.

On the ground, the Coalition Against the Trump Agenda (CATA) is organizing and mobilizing thousands of people to build the broadest possible unity against Trump. The coalition needs you: join the resistance! Join CATA and stay up to date for mobilizations at https://www.coalitionagainsttrumpagenda.org/

#ChicagoIL #IL #InJusticeSystem #ImmigrantRights #Trump #CATA #ICIRR

Chicago, IL – 10,000 Chicagoans gathered at the West Loop Haymarket Memorial on Monday, September 1, for a “Workers over Billionaires” protest called by the Chicago Federation of Labor for a militant Labor Day demonstration.

The protest was a response to Trump’s sweeping attacks on working and oppressed people, with particular focus on his attacks on federal workers’ bargaining rights, Immigrant rights, and his threats to send federal troops into Chicago.

In March, President Trump signed an executive order attempting to strip collective bargaining rights from almost 1 million federal workers. In recent weeks, he has made consistent threats to send military forces into cities run by Black mayors, with particular malice toward Chicago’s mayor and the union city that elected him.

To open his remarks at the Labor Day protest, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson fired up the crowd with chants of “No federal troops in the city of Chicago!” The mayor took a fighting stance with regards to Trump’s attacks on Chicago, describing his administration’s efforts to defend and invest in workers, especially Black and brown workers. Johnson spoke with pride about helping abolish the sub-minimum wage, ratify a transformative Chicago Teacher’s Union contract, and invest in affordable housing units on the South and West sides.

“We have stood up for the interests of workers before and we will do it again Johnson said. “We will always be a labor town.”

Johnson’s emphasis on the role of unions and working class people in mobilizing against Trump’s attacks to come was clear. “I need you all to stand firm and stand strong,” he said.

Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis-Gates matched Johnson’s words, stating, “In Chicago, we reject a billionaire’s tyranny in our city,” she said. “Solidarity is the antidote to white supremacy. Solidarity is the antidote to anti-immigrant fever. Solidarity is the antidote to transphobia and homophobia.”

“It is because of unions that there are no children who are working underage, and because of unions that we have health benefits, sick leave and vacation time,” said Reverend Jamal Bryant, a senior pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta. He called for labor forces to fight back once again. “There are more labor workers than there are billionaires.”

After the initial program at the Haymarket Monument, the protesters began marching west, chanting and holding signs promoting workers’ and Immigrants’ rights, and opposing Trump and his threats to send in troops to Chicago.

First stop: Workers over billionaires!

The march stopped at the corner of Fulton and Sangamon, outside the offices of Valor Equity Partners, a company founded by Chicago billionaire Antonio Gracias.

Toni Frazier, a childcare professional and SEIUHCII member, has worked in childcare for more than 34 years. She called out Gracias for not only hoarding billions off the backs of workers but also working with Musk to cut Social Security. These attacks hit close to home for Frazier, whose granddaughter needs special services for autism and whose niece is disabled and struggles to access healthcare. “We are here to take care of those who need help the most,” Frazier said. “That ain’t the billionaires.”

Second stop: Boycott Target!

The march reached its second stop outside a Target store, where Reverend Bryant spoke about the nationwide boycott against the corporation since it ended its DEI programs and goals early this year. The campaign’s efforts have seen Target’s stock drop by $52 per share and the CEO’s salary cut by 42% since the start of the boycott.

Bryant attributed the campaign’s progress to the same unity that helped build the Montgomery Bus Boycott during the Civil Rights movement. Labor unions, teachers and faith leaders all have to work together, he said. “Don’t let nobody turn us around!”

Final stop: We must defeat Trump in the streets!

John Miller, local president of University Professionals of Illinois Local 41 and a member of the American Association of University Professionals, called out the cruel disinvestment in education and all aspects of society orchestrated by Trump and the billionaire ruling class, including Governor Pritzker. Miller emphasized the need for an organized, militant response from the movement.

“All of higher education is under attack,” Miller said. “We’ve filed lawsuits, but we must defeat [Trump] in the streets.”

“We can play defense, or we can go on offense,” said Nico Coronado, chief negotiator for Teamsters 705 in their fight with Mauser. Over 100 members have been on strike since June 9. They are demanding better wages, workplace quality standards as well as protections from immigration enforcement. “We need to organize to bring in more members and have more militancy.”

No Trump, no troops!

In the coming days, an illegal military occupation of communities may come to Chicago as ordered by Donald Trump. The National Guard is being deployed, like in Washington DC, to continue the attacks on working and oppressed people, under the guise of fighting crime.

Chicagoans, in particular Black people and immigrants, have an inalienable democratic right to resist through whatever means of resistance needed. The Coalition Against the Trump Agenda (CATA) is ready to mobilize as soon as troops hit the ground. Follow CATA on social media at coalitionagainsttrumpagenda.org

#ChicagoIL #IL #PeoplesStruggles #Labor #Trump #ImmigrantRights #CATA #AFLCIO #SEIU #CTU

Chicago, IL – On a stormy Fourth of July, 1000 Chicagoans marched to oppose Trump’s racist and reactionary agenda. The people marched to oppose Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” that he signed into law Friday.

The new law slashes safety net programs that feed and educate children and provided healthcare for the poor and disabled. It also adds an estimated $3.3 trillion in debt and gives billionaires tax cuts. More tax dollars will now go for deportations, police repression, Israel’s genocide in Gaza and war against Iran.

“There has never been anything to celebrate on the Fourth of July, but especially not this year, as our neighbors are being kidnapped right in front of us, as our civil rights are under attack, and as Trump continues to advance his racist and reactionary Republican agenda,” said Kayla Nguyen, an immigrant rights activist.

Nguyen also condemned the FBI’s arrest and repression of Alejandro Orellana, Verita Topete, and other immigrant rights activists in Los Angeles.

“Racist, white supremacist legislators in DC just voted for Trump's tax cuts for the ultra-rich which also mean historic cuts to safety net programs like Medicaid and food stamps that will result in people dying,” said Lara Haddadin of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network.

Organizers led the crowd in chants like “Money for jobs and education, not for wars and deportations!” and “We want justice, you say how, ICE off our streets now!”

The crowd responded uproariously to calls for defending the rights of immigrants and LGBTQ people.

“Our strategy must be to unite and fight back. We have to be calling our elected officials. We have to be shutting down their offices. We have to be doing labor organizing. Get involved in an organization!” said Kobi Guillory with the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

Crystal Gardner, a community leader with Westside based 290 IPO spoke, “To Donald Trump and his minions, we are not afraid of you. My people have seen worse and survived. We’ve seen worse and fought back. We’ve seen worse and won!”

The demonstrators marched across downtown Chicago, stopping at a federal detention facility. Chicago Police blocked the march across the street from the ICE field office, but the people maneuvered around them using the sidewalks. Marchers then advanced to Trump Tower on the river, where they gathered for a final rally.

Onlookers cheered on the marchers as they approached the tower, and Chicago’s famous Bucket Boys raced into the march, where they filled the air with their legendary drumming and chants of “Free, free Palestine!”.After a few more moments of chants, organizers ensured participants left in groups to dissuade harassment from police, as DHS agents had been observed near the march.

Organized by the Coalition Against the Trump Agenda (CATA) and the Coalition for Justice in Palestine (CJP), the day’s message was clear: working and oppressed people must organize together to defend our rights and fight for the resources our communities need.

#ChicagoIL #IL #PeoplesStruggles #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #LGBTQ #ImmigrantRights #Labor #CATA #CJP #ICE #Trump