CHICAGO — One of the assurances President Trump made in his inaugural remarks was his intent to increase deportations of undocumented immigrants.
His incoming Border Czar, Tom Homan, referred to the Windy City as "ground zero" for those efforts.
This has raised concerns about mass deportations in the Midwest's biggest city after reports that major ICE raids could come to Chicago as soon as Tuesday.
Eréndira Rendón with the Resurrection Projectin the historically Hispanic neighborhood of Pilsen said that, for now, preparation is key.
"We have been making sure that all our attorneys in our network are trained in deportation defense so that they can be of assistance," said Rendón. "We've been preparing for emergencies like this one for the last eight years, since Trump first came onto the scene—making sure that we are establishing a legal protection fund and working with organizations across the city and state."
Rendón says news of potential increases in Chicago ICE raids is not a surprise but has doubled their efforts in educating people on what their rights are if they face detention or deportation.
Watch: Chicago immigrant organizations prepare for potential mass deportations
José Frausto with the Chicago Workers Collaborative shares a similar mission within the community.
"We educate people and prepare people for that uncertainty," said Frausto.
The Collaborative works to connect people in the immigrant community with jobs and assist with questions regarding documentation.
With new concerns about raids, Frausto said they will be hiring for a new position to help support community members faced with the detention or deportation of family.
"That person is going to be answering and helping people identify where their relatives are detained, what's going to be the process, and what the next steps are," Frausto explained. "At that moment, for a relative, it's going to be really hard to know what to do and where to go—how to react."
Both nonprofit organizers say those they help have become more fearful of the unknowns.
"The ripple effect that this is going to have on the economy, that this is having on our neighborhoods, is really something that we feel already."
There has been no official word from Homeland Security on whether these raids will take place this week in Chicago, but President Trump and his cabinet vowed to begin deportations as one of his first moves back in office.
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