Susan Amati (@susanamati.bsky.social)

IRVING PARK — Irving Park and Albany Park neighbors are organizing to help protect students and their guardians from federal immigration agents that have Chicago’s immigrant communities on edge. Amid reports of federal agents seen around schools on the North and Northwest sides, neighbors who live near Patrick Henry Elementary School, 4250 N. St. Louis Ave., have organized a corner watch initiative during drop-off and pickup times, according to Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez (33rd) and other neighbors. The corner watches, in which neighbors with whistles and “Know Your Rights” flyers stand on street corners near their schools during pickup and drop-off, are now set up for every school in Rodriguez-Sanchez’s ward and State Sen. Graciela Guzman’s district via their respective volunteer networks, Rodriguez-Sanchez said. Volta Elementary and Von Steuben High School in Albany Park have also launched a walking school bus initiative, an idea that came out of a Sept. 21 emergency town hall. These walking school bus routes are in effect at several other schools, including Hibbard Elementary School, and Roosevelt High School is doing something similar via their campus sanctuary team, Rodriguez-Sanchez said. “It doesn’t seem like that is a targeted attempt to go after schools right now. But of course, we’re being very vigilant, and this is the reason why we have the school safety response that we’re building, trying to make sure that we have all eyes on our schools while pickup or drop-off is happening,” said Rodriguez-Sanchez. A masked agent threw a smoke grenade onto a crowded street in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood Friday afternoon. Credit: Andrew Denton In September, ICE and Border Patrol launched operations Midway Blitz and At Large, which are supposed to focus on arresting and removing undocumented immigrants with serious criminal histories. But over the past month, federal agents have shot at least two people, killing one; repeatedly tear-gassed protesters and first responders; shot rubber bullets at protesters; detained U.S. citizens, including children; handcuffed a Chicago alderperson in a hospital; smoke bombed and tear-gassed a Chicago street; fired a chemical weapon at a TV reporter and detained a journalist, among other incidents. More than 1,000 people have been detained, Russell Hott, ICE field director in Chicago, told Block Club. “There was one arrest that happened around Roosevelt High School. It was a neighbor in the community, but not related to the school. And then there was two other people that were picked up by North River Elementary. They also didn’t have any relationship to the school,” Rodriguez-Sanchez said. A Homeland Security spokesperson did not immediately return a request for comment Wednesday. Ald. Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez (33rd) (right) the afternoon of Oct. 6, 2025 while helping to coordinate volunteer efforts at neighborhood schools in her ward. Credit: Alex V. Hernandez/Block Club Chicago Chicago Public Schools does not collaborate with federal immigration enforcement agencies or representatives, including ICE. And federal agents will not be granted access to CPS schools unless they present a valid criminal judicial warrant signed by a federal judge, the school district said in a statement. “While we are aware of law enforcement activity near some schools last Friday, there were no incidents in CPS schools. School remains the safest and best place for students to be … CPS staff have safety protocols, including how to respond if federal agents seek access to school property or interaction with students or staff,” the school district said in a statement. Nonetheless, the increased federal immigration activity across Chicago prompted neighbors in Irving Park to create the corner watch and walking school bus initiatives to help keep students safe outside of schools as well. “It’s a matter of not being caught off guard. They’re going to be relying on the fact that we’re not prepared or that people aren’t here in force,” said Jodi Wagner, a neighbor who manages Patrick Henry Elementary’s community garden. Volunteer Jay Rehak passes out “know your rights” flyers to neighbors walking by Oct. 6, 2025. Credit: Alex V. Hernandez/Block Club Chicago Wagner started reaching out to neighbors last week asking them to help with the walking school bus, and she continued this week to get more people involved. On Monday morning and afternoon, groups of neighbors equipped with orange whistles passed out “Know Your Rights” flyers with information about the Northwest Side Rapid Response network to parents and other guardians who were dropping off and picking up students from Patrick Henry Elementary. “It’s just really important that we have systems in place where we communicate with our neighbors and that we know our neighbors,” Wagner said. “To have some kind of network in place that, when you need people showing up, you can quickly get those people showing up without having to scramble.” Neighbors helping with the initiative were also spread out across Irving Park’s busy walking routes and near other neighborhood schools. “We’re using whistles and noise makers, really anything that can make a scandal,” said Maya Camacho Martinez, a parent at Patrick Henry. “Let’s make noise. Let’s let people know, and our neighbors know if [federal agents are] right outside. Let’s all get together and avoid the kidnappings that are happening now.” * * * **Support Local News!** **Subscribe to Block Club Chicago, **an independent, 501(c)(3), journalist-run newsroom. Every dime we make funds reporting from Chicago’s neighborhoods. 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