loading . . . _This is part our series of daily recaps of ICE activity in the Chicago region. Have a tip we should check out? Email_ [email protected]_.
BACK OF THE YARDS — Neighbors lined up Friday morning at a stand in Back of the Yards, looking to get food from the well-known Laura’s Tamales stand.
But this time, the familiar face of Laura Murillo, a mother of three, was not there to greet them. Instead, neighbors and organizers had taken over the stand near West 47th Street and South Western Avenue, raising funds to support Murillo after immigration agents arrested her Thursday morning.
“This is what it’s going to take – people coming together,” said Berto Aguayo, founder of local nonprofit Increase the Peace.
Aguayo, a native of Back of the Yards, and other organizers bought out Friday’s tamales stock and “took over her shift” to raise funds for Murillo’s family. Aguayo said he wants to inspire those who can – U.S. citizens, young people, organizers and attorneys – to support their neighbors as federal agents target undocumented people with immigration operations Midway Blitz and At Large.
Federal agents have detained more than 500 people in and around Chicago since the operations began this month, according to CNN.
Murillo was one of several people whom agents arrested Thursday near a Home Depot on the Southwest Side. In a nearby shopping center, more than half a dozen vehicles, including a Customs and Border Patrol truck, were seen “caravanning” in what organizers called a “show of force” meant to intimidate the majority Latino area. Agents’ presence Thursday prompted organizers to urge neighbors to stay home.
On Friday, one of Murillo’s daughters, who Block Club is not identifying for her safety, stood at the stand where her mother worked every day for about 10 years. She was shaken about her mother’s detention but happy to see the display of solidarity and the “power of community,” she said.
“I’m proud of my mom. She wouldn’t believe all the support she’s getting,” she said with tears in her eyes. “She doesn’t know because I haven’t told her, but I look forward to telling her when I can.”
A few minutes later, Murillo’s daughter got a call from a number that appeared to be from an immigration detention facility. But the call couldn’t continue as Murillo’s family had not been able to set up a payment card for calls because Murillo hadn’t been assigned an A-number, said Jaime Perez, Murillo’s fiancé.
On Thursday, Perez and Murillo’s daughter briefly spoke to Murillo over the phone. They haven’t been able to talk to her since, Perez said. It appears she is being held at the processing center in suburban Broadview, and the family is in the process of hiring an attorney, Perez said.
“It was a really brief conversation. She said, ‘I love you. Take care of your sister,'” Murillo’s daughter said.
Originally from the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, Murillo is a single mother of three and the “hardest-working woman you could ever meet,” Perez said. His biggest hope is she gets released, he said.
Organizers and neighbors take over Laura Murillo’s tamales stand in Back of the Yards, as seen on Sept. 26, 2025. Murillo was one of several people detained by federal agents Thursday amid operations Midway Blitz and At Large, organizers said. Credit: Francia Garcia Hernandez/Block Club Chicago
Murillo is the sole caretaker of a teenage daughter with special needs and a college-age daughter, both U.S. citizens.
For about 20 years, Murillo has woken up at 1 a.m. to prepare tamales, distribute them at other stands she owns and head to her stand, where she would sell the famous Mexican food until 11 a.m., her daughter said. Though her family was afraid of her getting detained, she had decided to keep working to provide for them, her eldest daughter told ABC7.
“She’s a really happy lady. She likes to make everyone happy,” her daughter said. “That’s what she liked the most: helping others.”
As the sun rose Friday and some of Murillo’s regular customers arrived, they were shocked to hear of her detention. Some embraced her daughter, while others asked how they could help the family. Some people even stopped their cars to donate money or honked in support as they drove by.
“It’s a heartbreaking thing, families getting torn apart. We’re here to support,” said a neighbor who declined to share her name. She arrived early Friday to buy tamales after seeing a post about the fundraiser on social media, she said.
Jesse Iñiguez, owner of Back of the Yards Coffee, arrived with a few gallons of the shop’s signature café de olla — a show of solidarity for the “neighborhood, the family” he calls home, he said.
“This isn’t about criminals; it’s about going after the Latino and immigrant communities,” he said. “But this motivates me. When we are attacked, how do we respond? With community.”
Standing near the Southwest Side Home Depot where several people have been detained, attorneys Krystal Robledo and Enrique Espinoza said neighbors can support each other by recording immigration authorities’ operations, being visible and helping others stay informed.
“People need to remember they have rights,” Espinoza said.
About 7:30 a.m. Friday, organizers announced they had sold out over 300 tamales, embracing each other and chanting “Si se pudo” on behalf of Murillo.
“Buy out a local vendor stand, take over their shifts, join a migra watch,” Aguayo said.
## Happening In Chicago
**•** Organizers have had to postpone the Community Workforce & Resource Fair that was scheduled for Saturday at Kelly College Prep due to concerns about increased ICE activity in the area, the Brighton Park Neighborhood Network announced.
• Border patrol agents took pictures on the Chicago River with Trump Tower in the background — even though the Chicago River does not touch any foreign borders. Downtown Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd) called it a “photo op.”
• At 7:20 a.m., an ICE vehicle was seen near St. Louis and Wrightwood avenues, according to the Northwest Side Rapid Response Team.
• At 11:25 a.m. Friday, agents detained two people near North and Humphrey avenues, according to the Northwest Side Rapid Response Team.
• At 11:30 a.m. Friday, federal agents in tactical gear were seen near 51st Street and Seeley Avenue, according to the Southwest Rapid Response Team.
## Happening In The Suburbs
• Federal agents tear gassed and shot rubber bullets at protesters Friday outside the Broadview ICE facility. Another protest is planned for 6 p.m. Saturday outside the facility.
• At noon Sunday, the Berwyn-Cicero Care Web will pass out Know Your Rights information, whistles and other resources to neighbors at the Clyde Park District Cicero Sports Complex, 1808 S. Laramie Ave. in Cicero.
## Know Your Rights
* Know Your Rights As An Immigrant
* What To Do If A Loved One Is Detained
* Know Your Rights As A Protester
* Recording, Reporting Immigration Agents
* What To Do If You’re Unhoused
Nonprofits That Serve Immigrants
## Follow For Updates
You can follow these organizations for updates about immigration enforcement activity.
* Brighton Park Neighborhood Council
* Southwest Rapid Response
* Northwest Side Rapid Response
* Increase the Peace
* Pilsen Puño
* Organized Communities Against Deportations
* Illinois Coalition for Immigrant & Refugee Rights
* National Immigrant Justice Center
* Resurrection Project
* * *
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