OPINION: Chicago residents have trouble distinguishing immigration officials from other government workers
Loyola University-Chicago students were thrown into a panic last week as rumors spread that an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent was on campus.
Turns out students were in a tizzy for no reason – unless they don’t like answering survey questions.
That’s because the worker was actually with the U.S. Census Bureau and wanted to interview students at the Bellarmine Hall dormitory. (My life has now come full circle – I used to write College Fix articles while in my Bellarmine dorm room. Now I write College Fix articles about Bellarmine Hall).
“Rumors of ICE activity at Bellarmine Hall spread online Jan. 31, raising concerns of arrests on campus,” the Loyola Phoenix reported. “Some resident advisors alerted students there had been ICE activity following the spread of unsubstantiated information on campus.”
“Please note that we have no reports of ICE or related activity on campus,” the Jesuit Catholic university also told students, as reported by Fox 32.
Students may have been on high alert following another story that week in the student newspaper.
The story discussed how the Rogers Park neighborhood, where the school is located, was “supporting [the] immigrant community” due to arrests in Chicago and the suburbs by immigration officials.
Since President Donald Trump took office and ordered the swift deportation of illegal immigrants with violent records, Chicago residents have struggled to differentiate immigration agents from other government workers.
A Chicago public school barred ICE agents from entering its building, following the district and city’s pledge to resist efforts to deport illegal immigrants. Except the agents were actually with the Secret Service and were investigating threats against an unnamed protectee.
Chicago Public Schools sort of apologized, but also blamed President Donald Trump, saying it was a “misunderstanding, reflective of the fear and concerns in the community amid the [Trump] administration’s focus on undocumented immigrants,” according to CBS News.
That “focus” has been mainly on migrants with a criminal background – including rape and murder.
Trump is politically smart to focus on violent criminals first as part of his deportation effort – CPS and Loyola students should consider if they want to be on the side of deporting violent criminals or if they really think all “undocumented” immigrants should stay in the country.
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IMAGE: Immigration and Customs Enforcement/Flickr
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