“The Man was Screaming for Help. Begging for Help.” Community Members and EU React to “Operation Midway Blitz”
An individual yells for help while ICE agents take them into custody in Arlington Heights, Ill. on Oct. 25. Moran calls out for the individual in custody’s name. (PC: Robin Moran)
Robin Moran, a community member in Arlington Heights, witnessed ICE first-hand Oct. 25 when they arrested multiple individuals outside of a gas station.
“I had just dropped off my dog, Berteau, at doggy daycare. As I was walking out, I felt somebody coming at me from my left. When I glanced over, I saw somebody charging towards me,” said Moran in an email statement to The Leader. “He was only a few feet away. I thought I was about to be mugged, so I quickly stepped backwards and pulled the door shut, holding it as tightly as I could and immediately started screaming.”
After evading the approaching individual, Moran recounted seeing ICE apprehend individuals working for a local landscaping company while she videotaped the incident.
“The man was screaming for help. Begging for help. That’s when I started videotaping. This all took less than 30 seconds. I continued taping until they had placed all three men into one of their vehicles,” said Moran.
Calling both phone numbers printed on the side of the landscaping vehicle, Moran said the second number received a response from somebody at the company.
Moran stated, “it was his truck and he had been hiding inside the gas station.”
After the two found each other in-person, Moran was in shock and unsure of what to do.
“He just stood there in front of me and cried. And I told him over and over again ‘I’m so sorry!’” Said Moran.
Moran is one example out of many in the Chicagoland area who have been personally affected by ICE. The program announced by the Department of Homeland Security Sept 8, “Operation Midway Blitz,” has sent hundreds of ICE agents into the city of Chicago and surrounding suburbs.
Emily Navarro, chair of the sociology and criminal justice department at Elmhurst University commented on the matter, stating, “this has sent a chill through immigrant communities in multiple ways. People are deeply afraid for their safety and the safety of their families.”
Navarro explained that the influx of ICE activity over the past weeks has caused fear in families and communities, and that already underserved communities are being further harmed.
An ICE agent pulls up a face covering while another pushes an individual in custody into the back of a black, unmarked, SUV in Arlington Heights, Ill. on Oct 25. Moran calls out for the ICE agent’s full name and is told to “stop impeding” by the agent. (PC: Robin Moran)
“Immigrant families are avoiding necessary doctor visits, keeping their children home from school, and avoiding being out in public at all costs,” said Navarro.
EU junior and international student Tamana Kumari corroborates this. Kumari believes international students may have to make difficult decisions regarding their education and careers.
Kumari said, “Most students are worrying about their studies and future career plans and many students are reconsidering their options.”
Navarro and Kumari both believe international students require more support and suggested ways to get involved right away.
According to Navaro, “there are all sorts of ways to get involved. The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights is a great starting point. You can share information about immigrant rights and you can respond if you encounter someone being detained by safely recording the detainment (from a distance).”
