Letter to the Editor 12/4/2025

To the Editor,

I am deeply disappointed in the Elmhurst City Council’s response to residents’ concerns about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and its troubling actions in our community. Many of us hoped for a clear condemnation of ICE—whose actions have sown fear and mistrust among our immigrant neighbors. Instead, the council offered evasive language and procedural excuses, falling short of the moral clarity we expected.

In reflecting on the council’s response, I was reminded of Pastor Martin Niemöller’s “First They Came.” His words show how silence in the face of injustice becomes complicity:

“First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”

Niemöller’s warning is clear: failing to speak allows injustice to grow. Elmhurst residents urged the council to act with this responsibility in mind. We wanted leadership willing to protect vulnerable neighbors—not empty symbolism.

Fear also hurts our local economy. Many small businesses, including mine, feel the effects as families hesitate to go out, work, or shop. A community cannot thrive when part of its population feels unsafe. Protecting our neighbors is not just morally right—it is essential to Elmhurst’s economic stability.

Our city prides itself on compassion, but those values cannot survive in silence. Residents deserve a clear statement from elected officials: “This is not acceptable in Elmhurst.” I urge the City Council to reconsider its position and show our community will not remain silent in the face of injustice.

Sincerely,
Seth Kamins
Owner, Judith B Inc.