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(CHICAGO, IL, 12\/10\/25)<\/strong> \u2013 The Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago), the nation\u2019s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, condemns the Trump administration\u2019s sweeping immigration freeze<\/span><\/a> \u2014 including the pause and expanded vetting of applications for visas, green cards, asylum, and citizenship from 19 countries \u2014 and the new national\u2011security measures by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Kristi Noem, the Secretary of Homeland Security said she expects the list to expand to over 30 countries sometime in the near future. <\/p>\n The ban and associated enforcement actions target immigrants from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.<\/p>\n Chicago\u2019s immigrant, refugee, and Muslim communities \u2014 including Afghans, Somalis, Sudanese, and others \u2014 face renewed fear and uncertainty. In recent months, aggressive enforcement such as \u201cOperation Midway\u202fBlitz\u201d<\/strong> have scarred local families and workers, particularly in immigrant neighborhoods. Legal proceedings and community reports are now revealing wrongful arrests, excessive use of force, and mis\u2011handled detentions<\/span><\/a> <\/span>\u2014 including video evidence showing misconduct during federal raids. This climate of fear, surveillance, and racial profiling now combines with sweeping visa freezes to deepen trauma within our city.<\/p>\n SEE MORE: Only 3% of immigrants detained in Operation Midway Blitz had convictions for violent crimes, data shows<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n What\u2019s happening in Minneapolis, Minn. with the Somali community<\/span><\/a> <\/span>is a continuation of targeting specific communities as scapegoats while the federal administration fails to improve just about any aspect of the quality of life for Americans. Recent hateful, dehumanizing remarks by President Trump \u2014 branding Somali immigrants as \u201cgarbage,\u201d claiming they \u201ccontribute nothing,\u201d and calling for their removal from the country \u2014 are not isolated political posturing but an orchestrated, politically motivated campaign of vilification and exclusion. CAIR also welcomed the firing of a Cinnabon worker<\/span><\/a> <\/span>who reportedly\u00a0went on a racist anti-Muslim rant targeting a Somali-American couple<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Chicago stands in full solidarity with Somali\u2011American and Afghan-American residents. Though the communities here is small, estimates still list hundreds of Somali\u2011Americans and thousands of Afghan-American\u2019s among Chicago\u2019s diverse immigrant population. Since President Trump took office, hate and Islamophobia have risen, including threats to Afghan families \u2014 such as notes left at a Skokie, IL home earlier this year stating, “President Donald Trump deportation is coming for you.”<\/em><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Sayeda Qader, Founder of Kalaam Project, said<\/strong><\/p>\n Anti-Afghan sentiment has intensified in the wake of the National Guard shooting, and Afghan refugee families in the Chicagoland area are already living in fear due to the heightened ICE presence. Many Afghans, including allies who were promised safety, have had their immigration applications stuck in backlogs for months with no movement. They\u2019ve been waiting so long for progress on their asylum and SIV cases that their humanitarian parole visas have expired, leaving them undocumented. This has created a climate of fear and uncertainty for a community that came here seeking protection and stability after the U.S. withdrawal. However, they have only received half promises and more threats of a US return.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n CAIR\u2011Chicago Legal Director Heena Musabji:<\/strong><\/p>\n These nationality-based visa freezes and immigration suspension are not only unlawful, they are a moral disgrace. They rob hardworking immigrant families in Chicago of their right to live, work, and raise their children free from fear. We will challenge these measures relentlessly \u2013 in the courts, in Congress, and in public \u2013 until dignity and justice are restored for every community.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Just as other chapters of CAIR have done, CAIR\u2011Chicago stands proudly with the Somali community, Afghan families, Sudanese, Venezuelan, and all immigrants who enrich our city. Our mission \u2014 to defend civil rights, fight bigotry, and promote understanding \u2014 demands no less.<\/p>\n We urge anyone impacted by these bans or enforcement operations to reach out for legal support and solidarity:<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n CAIR-Chicago\u2019s mission is to defend civil rights, fight bigotry, and promote tolerance<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n CONTACT: <\/strong>Ahmed Rehab, Executive Director of CAIR-Chicago, 202-870-0166, arehab@cair.com | Heena Musabji, Legal Director of CAIR-Chicago, 312-212-1520, hmusabji@cair.com | Hafsa Haider, Communications Director of CAIR-Chicago, 561-317-7509, hhaider@cair.com<\/p>\n CAIR-Chicago\u2019s Website<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/a> –\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>Instagram<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/a>\u00a0–\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>Facebook<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/a>\u00a0–\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>Twitter (X)<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/a>\u00a0–\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>YouTube<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/a>\u00a0–\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>Subscribe<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\nChicago Communities Under Threat<\/h3>\n
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