City Bureau partnered with PUÑO to offer hands-on training in Pilsen for residents navigating federal immigration crackdowns in the city.
by Hector Cervantes
Attendees post their statements about what they are hoping to learn during a Migra Watch workshop in the cafeteria of Benito Juarez High School in Pilsen, Thursday, October 9, 2025. (Abel Uribe/for City Bureau)
Pilsen Unidos por Nuestro Orgullo (PUÑO) and City Bureau brought together residents for a hands-on Migra Watch training Oct. 9, teaching attendees how to document Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity and strengthen local rapid response networks to protect immigrant communities.
PUÑO is a coalition committed to advocating for the protection of immigrant rights through legal support, education and community engagement. The organization has its own immigration watch group, where volunteers monitor local immigration enforcement, document incidents, and provide support and resources to affected community members.
Chicago is experiencing a surge of aggressive ICE raid activity — including violent clashes, wrongful detentions and tear gas deployed in neighborhoods — as part of two federal immigration enforcement operations. There is no clear end date for the enforcement, which has triggered multiple lawsuits and court hearings about the tactics federal agents are using.
READ MORE | How To Get Help — And Help Others — Amid ICE Raids in Chicago
In response to keeping Pilsen and local communities informed in Chicago, PUÑO and City Bureau collaborated to teach residents their rights when they encounter ICE.
Diego Morales, a teen leader for PUÑO, and volunteer leaders Mimi Guiracocha and Andres Rizo facilitated the session and supported attendees throughout the program.
“Rapid response is an umbrella term that refers to efforts involving prior education and advocacy, including knowing your rights and educating the community,” Guiracocha said.
Participants in the session learned to identify different uniforms and insignias to distinguish various agencies on the ground, including the Illinois National Guard, Texas National Guard and the Department of Homeland Security. They also learned about common sources of confusion between these groups and the importance of documenting and verifying who is operating in the area.
The training also covered where ICE is most likely to detain someone and what to watch for in those areas. Participants learned that enforcement tactics often involve multiple officers working together, who may wear vests, plain clothes, or military-style clothing.
Traffic stops are the most common method of detaining a person, sometimes involving multiple vehicles boxing in a target, with situations that have occasionally escalated to gunfire or tear gas. Large staging areas, like parking lots or spaces behind strip malls, are often used to coordinate these operations.
For bystanders witnessing someone being detained, it is legal to film police and ICE in public in Illinois. When recording, it is recommended to remain at “arm’s length” or a step back for safety.
“[As a bystander,] try to deescalate any potential violence that might occur, but sometimes it’s also important to be smart and make sure there is a record that [the detainee’s] rights are being protected,” Guiracocha said.
Regarding the use of footage, it is not advised to go live or share events in real time. Footage should instead be shared within the local ICE watch groups, where members can discuss whether to post. Sharing details publicly without careful consideration can be harmful, both to the people being detained and viewers who might be getting incorrect or partial information.
To prevent the spread of misinformation and avoid causing unnecessary fear within the community, only verified information should be shared, the facilitators said. Posts should provide context, rely on confirmed facts, and avoid speculation.
During the session, participants contributed to a board of messages by writing on sticky notes about why this issue is important to them. One shared, “As an immigrant myself, I recently witnessed a young man taken in my neighborhood and want to be able to help better next time,” while others wrote that they want to learn more conventional and helpful protocols to protect people, or expressed a desire to support the community and counteract harmful government actions.
Key phrases for bystanders to use with people being detained, such as “No digas nada,” (“Don’t say anything,”) and “¿Cómo te llamas?” (“What’s your name?”) are meant to help people in the aftermath, and the training concluded with role-playing exercises on how to respond if attendees encounter ICE.
PUÑO shares details of key phrases to use during ICE encounters during a Migra Watch training in the cafeteria of Benito Juarez High School in Pilsen, Thursday, October 9, 2025. (Abel Uribe/for City Bureau)
“We also encourage making preparedness plans and having emergency contacts so that individuals can remain present rather than overwhelmed in the moment,” Guiracocha said. “There are also techniques for de-escalating, de-stressing and practicing empathy. It is helpful to talk about these strategies and actively engage in them.”
PUÑO continues to host Migra Watch trainings, with the next one set for noon to 3 p.m. Saturday at Haymarket House, 800 W. Buena Ave., in Uptown. More trainings are scheduled for Nov. 6 and 8 at Gads Hill Center, 1919 W. Cullerton Ave., in Pilsen. Find more information on PUÑO’s website or Instagram.
Hector Cervantes is a 2025 Civic Reporting Fellowship alum who covered summer opportunities for Chicago youth. He is a freelance reporter who has been published at Growing Community Media, Cycling Weekly, Restart and the Chicago Sun-Times.