Candlelight Vigil Lights Up Blue Island In Support of Immigrants

BLUE ISLAND, IL—Southsiders for Peace and their supporters induced a cacophony of horn-honking during a candlelight vigil at the intersection of 127th Street and Western Avenue in Blue Island. The event was one of hundreds Lights For Liberty vigils planned across the nation to call attention to the inhumane conditions in U.S. migrant camps.

The vigils took on a special meaning Friday evening with talk of the imminent raids targeting thousands of undocumented families living in the United States. President Trump is backing the operation, which will be conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which are expected to begin Sunday and will take place over multiple days. There are some unconfirmed reports that raids began Friday in Chicago Heights and Cicero.

“Agencies that work with immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers are on high alert,” said Mark Kuehner, a member of the Beverly Unitarian Church-based Southsiders for Peace and organizer of the local vigil. “[The agencies] are distributing pamphlets letting people know what their rights are in case they’re accosted by ICE agents.”

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has taken measures to ensure that the Chicago Police Department would not be providing backup for federal ICE officers to detain residents and has cut off ICE access to all CPD databases. Some suburban mayors, including Aurora's Mayor Richard Irvin, have taken a strong stand against the pending ICE raids, which have cast fear in Chicago's immigrant communities.

Oak Lawn Village Manager Larry Deetjen, on the other hand, stated that the village supports the “U.S. Constitution and all sworn law enforcement officers.”

“We work with all levels of government to keep our citizens, visitors, guests, customers, and businesses safe and crime free,” Deetjen added. “We are a ‘Nation of Laws’.”

The Oak Lawn police chief said he was not aware of any enforcement activities in the area.

“Oak Lawn will support and follow all local, state and federal laws,” OLPD Chief Randy Palmer said.

The Palos Park Police Department will follow "the direction and guidance set forth from Illinois's top law enforcement officer, Attorney General Kwame Raoul,” Chief Joe Miller said.

Similarly, Deputy Chief Bill Czajkowski, of the Palos Heights Police Department, said that he, too, was unaware of any immigration enforcement activities being planned in the Palos area.

“We have an officer assigned to Homeland Security Investigations (HISI) to assist in narcotics investigations,” Czajkowski said. “If any law enforcement agency asks for our assistance we would assist them.”

Sunday’s raids are expected to focus on residences in major cities across the country, including Chicago. News reports have indicated that families or individuals who have recently received deportation notices will be targeted. Other immigrants who happen to be on the scene when a friend or family member is arrested, may also be detained. President Trump has stated that the ICE raids will focus on undocumented persons with criminal backgrounds.

Kuehner said that his group would try to position themselves between any enforcement actions and immigrants being targeted, but acknowledged that would be difficult because “these actions happen pretty quickly.”

“The racism obvious in all of this shows a big breakdown of American society, values and institutions,” Kuehner said. “Sunday be our version of Kristallnacht.”

Joining Friday’s vigil were Sisters of Mercy Pat Murphy and Jo Ann Persch, co-founders of the Interfaith Committee for Detained Immigrants. The sisters explained they were at the ICE detention center in Broadview Friday morning to pray for the immigrants and their families, the last stop before deportation.

“While we were praying a bus went into the garage and came out,” Murphy said. “Those are buses from jail cells. We’re taking care of those already caught in that broken system.”
Next week, the nuns will be traveling to Washington, D.C., to protest conditions in the migrant children detention camps.

“Pat and I are going to Washington on Wednesday, and we’ll be arrested on Thursday,” Persch said. “We choose non-violent civil disobedience. Last year we were arrested for the Dreamers.”
Bail was $50, which both sisters forfeited by not showing up to court.

ICDI volunteers have worked hard to cultivate trust with ICE officials, who have allowed members to enter the Broadview and long-term county jail detention centers. According to Murphy, the acting director of the ICE facility in Broadview has expressed admiration for ICDI’s work.

"It’s easy to love and respect and feel sorry for the deportees and their families, because they’re made in the image of God," Murphy said. "We have to remember that the correctional officers are also God’s children, so we have to be respectful and kill them with kindness and love.”