Rogers Park Students and Businesses Participate in Strike Against ICE

A nationwide movement to go on strike in protest of the actions of ICE brought a mix of responses across Chicago Jan. 30. In the Loyola community, business closures, protests and community assemblies attracted students to participate, according to several first-year students. Several community members said they engaged with the action in different ways or learned about it through social media after it occurred.

Protesters across the nation called for a “no work, no school, no shopping” strike Jan. 30, following weeks of tension surrounding Trump’s immigration enforcement policies including the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, the Associated Press reported. 

One local coffee shop near the Lake Shore Campus, River and Roads Cafe, closed for the strike after staff collectively voted on how to respond to the events in Minneapolis, according to employee Maya Owens. 

Owens said the conversation was initiated through her coworker, which led to management conducting a poll amongst staff before choosing to close the shop and distribute free coffee. During this period the coffee shop accepted donations for the Illinois Coalition for Immigration and Refugee Rights.

“It was a pretty overwhelmingly positive response,” Owens said. “People came in asking what the strike was about, and it turned into a lot of really good conversations.”

Owens said a decent amount of people knew about the strike and felt Loyola students were among the most informed visitors. Those who didn’t know about the strike tended to either ask her about the organization or the cause. 

The cafe raised over $400 in primarily cash donations, according to Owens. She also mentioned the nuanced role small businesses have when contributing to activism.

“Most people didn’t know it was happening until a week or two before.” Owens said. “I think that small businesses can have a huge impact and really influence their customer base, but I don’t think it’s right to hate on small businesses for not being able to close.”

First-year marketing major Marinel Espinosa said she learned about the ICE-related strike primarily through social media, especially TikTok, where she saw posts highlighting immigrant communities and businesses showing solidarity by closing or publicly supporting the action.

“This is obviously bigger than making money at this point.” Espinosa said. “It’s honestly really relieving to see, especially when it’s not only people of color.”

Espinosa said tools like social media have become one of the most effective forms of spreading information, especially living in a city like Chicago that she thinks is well positioned to support immigration issues. 

Despite the increasingly intense federal enforcement policies, American views on immigration have taken a more positive stance, the AP reported. Younger people have also relied on digital platforms to express urgency around social issues to generate participation in political movements, the AP reported. 

First-year psychology student J Andrade said they became aware of the ICE-related strike through flyers posted in Simpson Hall and social media posts. While they try to stay informed about political issues, Andrade said they tend to engage with current events passively. 

“It didn’t really impact my day,” Andrade said. “I was just on campus, so I didn’t really do anything other than go to class and return to my room.”

Andrade said they understood the impact of targeting large corporations through strikes as a way to bring awareness of what public support looks like amongst local governments. 

“I feel like it’s to the point where nothing is getting to the government and to organizations seeing that we don’t like them, especially with what they’re supporting, and they’re not taking that seriously enough,” Andrade said.

Businesses have increasingly faced pressure, with companies ranging from family run cafes to national corporations have navigated public opinion, the AP reported. Larger companies including Hilton, Home Depot, and Target have largely avoided directly addressing how ICE raids could potentially impact their employees, sparking public outrage. 

Timing and concerns about safety influenced Andrade to stay away from recent protests. They explained how having immigrant family members has led them to feel more vigilant and cautious of their surroundings, especially amongst public demonstrations. 

Surveys have found undocumented respondents or those who fear enforcement tend to steer clear of more public demonstrations due to concerns of safety, according to the Brookings Institute.

While Andrade emphasized how the responsibility of participation depends on personal safety, students who feel safe to speak out should do so.

Similarly to Espinosa and Andrade, first-year nursing major Kate Quintero said she learned about the strike through posts on social media. She said she felt the strike was a more accessible form of resistance for students who may have academic obligations or don’t feel safe protesting.

“I know right now there’s plenty of students who feel like they don’t feel safe to leave their dorms or leave campus,” Quintero said. “A strike is a way to participate without putting yourself in danger.”

Since a class that day was already cancelled, Quintero said she already wasn’t planning on attending school. However, she also mentioned how she was more conscious of her spending habits on Friday. 

Even if the involvement is small, Quintero said she believes strikes like Friday’s are beneficial for enlisting new people to join a cause, especially if aren’t comfortable engaging in more visible forms of protest. 

“I really think that the event on the 30th was a nice preview and precursor to building and organizing how we have to really think about a total general strike,” Joey said. 

Some local organizations in Rogers Park also participated in the demonstration over the weekend. Protect Rogers Park held an assembly the day after the strike on Jan. 31 which focused on community protection, according to Co-Founder Joey Sylvester. 

During the assembly, organizers utilized storytelling and remembrance to bring awareness to the human impact of immigration enforcement. She said the event included a moment of silence for detained individuals and a testament from a directly affected community member. 

While Protect Rogers Park’s assembly and strike were separate actions, Sylvester said both reflected growing momentum towards immigration justice.

Sylvester emphasized student participation can be capacity based and doesn’t have to look the same for everyone. 

“We need young people to help lead this movement forward.” Sylvester said. “There’s a lot of creativity that just bubbles up from students getting together to take an action.”