How to Help Neighbors Impacted by ICE

1st Ward Newsletter | October 28, 2025

Dear neighbors,

Friday was a hard day. It was horrifying to see a neighbor, knowing his rights and following them, have his car window smashed in by ICE agents, dragged out, and abducted. Other neighbors were taken on Potomac and Division. In the midst of this senselessness, I’m heartened by the way you show up in ways large and small: in your cars, on your bikes, whistles and cameras ready. Those interested in getting plugged in can click on this link. Meanwhile, if you are interested and able to support the material needs of families who have lost a loved one to ICE you can do so here. We’re in it together and we’re going to get through this together.

It can feel at the federal level like government does so much to frighten and harm us. That’s why Meet Me on Milwaukee has been such a tonic to me: to show that government is also capable of creating spaces of joy, energy, and community. It was great sharing the street with tens of thousands of you over the past three months! My special thanks to the 1st Ward’s incredible staff, our committed volunteers, the Wicker Park / Bucktown Chamber of Commerce, and the 14th district team. Meet Me on Milwaukee WILL return in 2026!!

Finally, I’m writing this from an Amtrak to Springfield, headed down to participate in a lobbying day with our state government. I’m coming down for reasons that are both relational and urgent. Relational because I believe too often the city’s relationship to state government has been antagonistic rather than collaborative and I want to help to change that. Urgent because our state legislators will vote this week on revenue and governmental reform for public transit. Our local representatives and senators know the stakes, but the task today is to communicate to Springfield leadership how desperately important this is to 1st Ward residents.

Sincerely,

In this week's newsletter, you'll find:

• 1st Ward Office
• Public Safety
• Community News and Events
• Zoning

1st Ward Office

Public Safety

• If you think you may see federal agents, the very first thing you should do is call the Family Support Hotline at 855-435-7693. PLEASE DO NOT POST ON SOCIAL MEDIA. Use the SALUTE method (see above) when reporting activity.
• Know Your Rights! The Resurrection Project has virtual Know Your Rights trainings weekly, and you can register to attend on their website here. With the level of escalation and violence we are seeing from these agents, not only is it crucial that you know your own rights under the law, but that you can use this knowledge to help others understand their own rights as well.
• Attend the next Rapid Response training! These trainings are typically held virtually on Wednesday evenings at 6pm. Rapid Response teams are at work throughout the City to respond to reportings of federal immigration agents, to ensure safety of anyone nearby and document the incident. This is the most boots-on-the-ground direct volunteer opportunity - all the school patrols that occur to keep students safe are trained in Rapid Response. These teams are organized by region, and the 1st Ward is in the Northwest Side Rapid Response Network.
• Become a Court Watch Volunteer! Court Watch is a volunteer program founded in 2007 to observe and bear witness at detained immigrants’ hearings in Chicago. While Illinois passed legislation that banned immigrant detention within our state beginning in 2022, deportation cases are still processed in the Chicago Immigration Court nearly every weekday for immigrants - including Illinois residents - who are jailed in Wisconsin, Indiana, Kentucky, and other states. If you'd like to volunteer with ICIRR's Court Watch program, please email [email protected].
• Assist with filling out immigration applications! You do not need to be a lawyer or legal professional to volunteer in this capacity. Opportunities are available for bilingual and English-only speakers.
• Sign up for ICIRR's Eyes on ICE text alert system to learn when immigration enforcement agents are in your neighborhood: icirr.org/EyesonICE
• If anyone is interested in posting Know Your Rights yard signs on their lawns, our office has them for residents to come pick up. For business owners, we also have Know Your Rights posters to hang in your windows.
• For those interested in civic action, follow @icirr, @ocadchicago, or @indivisiblechicago to learn about rallies, calls to action, and other ways to make your voice heard!
• To stay current on changes in immigration policy, we recommend following the Immigration policy tracker and litigation tracker. For more localized information on what’s happening in immigration and to learn about upcoming events, sign up to receive the Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights' newsletter!

Community News and Events

Zoning

• CONGRESS THEATER - HUD108 MEETING: The 1st Ward Office hosted a HUD108 meeting, to discuss a financing aspect of the Congress Theater project. The video is published on the 1st Ward Video drive, and you can review the presentation. Written comment can be sent through November 4, 2025 electronically ([email protected]) or via mail (Department of Planning and Development, Bureau of Economic Development, c/o Jeffrey Cohen [Deputy Commissioner], 121 North LaSalle Street Room 1003, Chicago IL 60602).

September & October Zoning Inquiries

• 1533 N Western: A zoning attorney reached out on behalf of a property owner to propose a zoning change to convert ground floor commercial to residential. The 1st Ward Office sent developer's intake packet and requested more information. (originally received April 2025; received again October 2025)

• 1738 W Division: A zoning attorney reached out on behalf of a proposed business where pet treats would be manufactured and sold on-site. After exhausting all potential use categories under the existing B3 zoning designation, the applicant is expected to submit a zoning intake packet for a C1 zoning designation that allows this use. (received September 2025)

• 1654 W Chicago: A business owner reached out regarding zoning change options to establish a packaged goods establishment in a commercial storefront. The 1st Ward Office requested more information. (received September 2025)