On February 9, 2025, approximately 600 protesters assembled in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago,

also known as the Mexico of the Midwest for its unapologetic Hispanic culture

hanging from the storefronts and alley murals.

I saw many familiar organizations from the 2024 Democratic National Convention six months ago,

such as the FRSO, USPCN, and UICSDS.

If you don't know those acronyms, that's okay.

All you need to know is that if you go to these protests, you're going to see a lot of acronyms.

Temperatures were in the 30s, and light, misty rain began to descend as speeches started.

One of the speakers was alderman Byron Sigcho Lopez of the 25th Ward.

To me, as an immigrant, as a father, and as resident of the 25th Ward, I am proud to stand here with you today.

As many people in our community are afraid, terrorized.

Not too far from here, only a few blocks away, one of our neighbors was grabbed by ice.

The media, the corporate media, the billionaires are referring to our migrant community and our immigrants are criminals.

Well let me tell you that who the grab was a father, who the grab was a long time resident of a little village,

who has a baby on its way, who has two kids also.

It's a shame on them.

And here in our neighborhood, we got each other's back.

And that's a call for every single one of you

to make sure that you have your

neighbors back. That when they're here, where the cowards are here, that we're out there. That

family was not alone. That's a father with a baby. That's not criminal. And I tell you that the

community responded. And these cowards did not stop it in his home,

...