Rogers Park Residents Weigh Priorities Ahead of the Midterm Elections

With midterm elections bringing a new slate of candidates and major political turnover to Illinois, Rogers Park residents identified immigration enforcement, the cost of living and local concerns as issues which could influence their votes. 

While transportation and other national issues like AI development have become prominent in Illinois campaigns, residents said issues affecting Chicago and their neighborhoods also shape their priorities. 

Immigration enforcement has become a visible issue across the Chicagoland area, with federal operations affecting how some residents move through neighborhoods and interact with their communities, The Phoenix reported. 

Sixty-nine percent of Chicago residents said ICE actions have made people in the region feel less safe, while 70% said recent enforcement actions had gone too far, according to a survey done by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. 

In Rogers Park, there’s an approximately 23% Latino population, 22% Black population and 45% white population among a total of 55,454 residents, according to the 2020 U.S. Census. 

Emily Bean, a 32-year-old singer, performer and teaching artist, said ICE and increased surveillance have made safety a major concern for her. 

“Rogers Park is still one of the most diverse neighborhoods in Chicago, and so, obviously, there’s a significant portion of our community that’s living in fear right now,” Bean said. “Having that stress taken away from people is huge. People can be able to resume normal, whatever normal looks like these days without being afraid of being kidnapped off the street.” 

In October 2025, Bean said there were fewer people shopping and visiting local restaurants following an increase in federal immigration activity in the neighborhood. 

Rogers Park resident and costume designer Mads Reardon, 24, said Chicago should encourage ICE agents to cease operations in the city and neighborhood to continue community advancement and promote safety. 

“We don’t want them here, and I think that we’d immediately see benefits through the return of our community members on the streets,” Reardon said. “We see the effects, and I think that it would take a lot of stress off the neighborhoods.” 

Immigration enforcement wasn’t the only issue among Rogers Park voters ahead of the elections.

The role young people play in the neighborhood is a pressing issue, especially in a college community that brings thousands of students into the area every year, according to Loyola’s undergraduate admission statistics. 

First-year political science major and lifelong Illinois resident Grace Mascho said the relationship between students and politics is something candidates should consider as they shape the neighborhood’s future. 

“I think Loyola is a big part of Rogers Park,” Mascho said. “A lot of the students have an impact on the [local] businesses. Students should have more of a voice in government, not just student government.” 

Infrastructure and housing developments have also become a major concern for some Rogers Park residents. 

In May, the Committee on Zoning advanced a proposal to build 80 apartments across two buildings in Rogers Park, The Phoenix reported. The units would be priced below the current market rate — currently around $2,000, according to real estate listings on Apartments.com and Zillow — for residents making around $60,000, Rogers Park’s median income, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. 

Software engineer Michael Hanson, 47, said the new developments will drive local business away. 

“I want to see it back to what it was,” Hanson said. “You’re taking ‘ma and pop’ stores away, and I don’t see how condos are going to bring business in. It just ticks me off.” 

Hanson’s concerns come with the broad citywide decline in the number of operating businesses. Rogers Park saw a decrease of 18% in local businesses over the last 10 years, according to Illinois Policy. 

Bean said issues ultimately centered on whether elected officials are paying attention to what’s happening in their communities. 

“Having confidence that politicians actually are looking out for [residents] and care what happens to them is a huge thing,” Bean said. 

Illinois midterm elections are scheduled for Nov. 3. Voters can find their specific voting locations on the Illinois Board of Elections website, where they’ll be prompted to enter their addresses. 

All polling places statewide will open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m., according to Illinois Policy.