Faith, school and neighborhood leaders are responding firmly to ongoing immigration enforcement in Chicago neighborhoods.
Over the weekend, Catholic clergy and parishioners in Chicago teamed up to uphold the dignity of affected immigrants and protect their rights to worship, reports Simone Orendain of OSV News. And the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has offered support in a lawsuit challenging the policy change to allow immigration enforcement in sensitive locations including churches, Kate Scanlon of OSV News reports separately.
Yesterday a judge in Chicago banned federal immigration agents from making arrests at courthouses, reports Christine Fernando of the Associated Press.
On the city’s northwest side, residents are mobilizing — volunteers patrol streets and alert neighbors to immigration officers’ presence, reports Joanna Hernandez of WTTW.
Meanwhile, Chicago school staff have formed teams to monitor immigration enforcement activity around schools, inform families and safely escort students amid growing concerns, report Daniella Silva and Natasha Korecki of NBC News.
"Everyone is very anxious. Can you imagine telling a 12-year-old that people are out there who might want to take their family?" said Sheena Shukla, a Chicago Public Schools social worker. "We can’t shield our children from these realities, so we provide them with a level of support that they can understand."
Welcome to Thursday’s edition of The Forum Daily. I’m Dan Gordon, the Forum’s VP of strategic communications, and the great Forum Daily team also includes Marcela Aguirre, Masooma Amin, Jillian Clark and Clara Villatoro. If you have a story to share from your own community, please send it to me at [email protected].
MILITARY AFFECTED — Military families also continue to feel the impacts of intensified immigration enforcement. U.S. Marine Steve Rios’ parents were detained late last month, and one of them was deported last Friday, reports Shelby Bremer of NBC 7 San Diego. Rios said the couple first was apprehended while picking up their pregnant daughter and her husband — a fellow Marine — at Camp Pendleton, and that the couple had pending green card applications.
AMERICAN FARMERS — In Idaho, third-generation agricultural business Owyhee Produce is facing worker shortages amid increasing deportation raids, reports Mason Leath of ABC News. The farm usually has 300 workers, about 80 of whom come on seasonal H-2A visas — but applications for the visas are down due to concerns about sweeping enforcement. Meanwhile, Beth Ford, president and CEO of Land O’Lakes, this week reiterated farmers’ workforce challenges and emphasized the need for more immigration pathways, as Dave Smith of Fortune reports.
RURAL HEALTH CARE — Rural communities, which often show elevated rates of chronic illness and premature mortality compared with urban areas, face a critical shortage of medical professionals. Immigrant physicians, many on H-1B visas, are vital to bridging this gap, reports Nada Hassanein of Stateline. The new $100,000 fee jeopardizes these positions, she reports. Alyse Pfeil of Nola.com writes on the impact of this fee on universities and hospitals in New Orleans.
‘REOPEN THAT DOOR’ — Since the refugee program’s suspension in January, virtually no persecuted Christians have been resettled, World Relief President and CEO Myal Greene writes in an op-ed for The Christian Post. With a decision on fiscal year 2026 admissions expected soon, "I call on President Trump to reopen that door, including and especially for Christians and others facing religious persecution," Greene writes. Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Hamed Aleaziz of The New York Times are the latest to report on administration plans to give preference to white South Africans and Europeans.
P.S. Michelin-starred chefs with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) are raising their voices amid growing uncertainty, Patricia Escarcega of The Washington Post reports.
