CHICAGO (WGN) — A tense public hearing was held Thursday at Thalia Hall in Pilsen as community members voiced concerns over the Chicago Police Department and how it has interacted with federal immigration agents since the start of Operation Midway Blitz.
“CPD has looked the other way when ICE and [Customs and Border Patrol] switch vehicle license plates or are not respecting traffic rules and regulations,” Antonio Gutierrez of Organized Communities Against Deportations said.
The Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability (CCPSA) hosted the hearing after local police district council members gathered 2,000 signatures of residents calling for transparency, accountability and clarity around CPD’s role and policy during immigration enforcement in Chicago.
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“In Albany Park, we saw ICE came and caused unsafe conditions, threw tear gas, weapon pointing. What did CPD do? They opened a passageway so ICE could escape unscathed and the community members hurt. They were left without consideration of well being,” migrant worker Geovanni Celaya said…