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CHICAGO — Several U.S. lawmakers are in Chicago Friday for a hearing on federal enforcement operations targeting local immigrant communities.
The hearing is known as a “shadow hearing,” which are unofficial congressional hearings typically held by the minority party when the majority party refuses to hold an official one.
The two-hour hearing included emotional testimony from several people directly affected by ICE detentions and interactions, including Genesis Ozuna, who is figuring out how to keep going after her mom was recently detained.
“My mother is not only our provider, she is our comfort, our strength and our only parent. Her absence is tearing our family apart. I am pleading for mercy and compassion so that we have her back with us. Thank you for taking the time to hear us out, and for considering the deep impact my mother has made to our family,” Ozuna said.
Since her mom’s recent detention, 19-year-old Ozuna, a college student, says she’s experiencing significant emotional distress as she is now left to maintain her household and care for her 16-year-old sister with disabilities, while also trying to go to college.
Those sitting side-by-side with Genesis spoke to the recent raids in neighborhoods across the city, including those that have happened in the last several days in Little Village. They also spoke to agents in helicopters raiding a South Shore apartment building, and how that has frightened people in the neighborhood from going about their normal business.
Among those who spoke to congressional leaders is Rev. David Black, whose church is near the South Shore building.
Rev. Black is the pastor who was peacefully praying outside of the Broadview ICE facility when he was shot with a pepper ball.
“Bovino and his henchmen are showing mocking contempt for the rule of law. Instead of enforcing the law, state authorities have applied their efforts to replace the vicious escalations of ICE at Broadview with the brutality of Illinois State Police. Peaceful protestors continue to be clubbed, beaten and dragged out of designated free speech zones to be arrested on ludicrous charges,” said Rev. Black.
Congresswoman Delia Ramirez says hearings similar to this one are steps forward towards holding the Trump administration accountable.
WGN News has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for a response on Friday’s hearing, but have not yet heard back.
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Jewell Hillery
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