Chicago Tribune reports:

“People are scared,” said Alvarez Vasquez [a legal permanent resident], 56, as she watched as her grandchildren Antonio, 9 and Yulisa, 5 — both U.S. citizens — played on the steps outside their Southwest Side school on Thursday afternoon. “They don’t want to go out. They don’t even go to work much because they’re afraid of being caught or deported.”

Indeed, the week saw streets in the Little Village neighborhood, which typically bustle with crowds and businesses, conspicuously quiet. The iconic tamale vendors that normally dotted the sidewalks of the largely Mexican immigrant community were nowhere to be found.

Workers were afraid to go to their jobs. Many predominantly Latino business corridors remained empty.

Some parents kept their children out of school, fearing immigration raids could strike classrooms and playgrounds, spots that were previously considered safe havens.

Patients decided to forgo medical appointments. Church services shifted to virtual platforms instead of in-person attendance. Social service workers reported a climate of anxiety and trepidation among clients.

Advocates for noncitizens worry about the psychological and emotional costs that come from hiding. [Continue reading…]