An Afghan family living in Skokie said notes threatening them with deportation have been left at their front door twice since President Donald Trump’s inauguration last month.
“Yes, President Donald Trump deportation is coming for you! Finally,” read one of the notes, also threatening to call Immigration Customs and Enforcement.
“President Trump will deport all immigrants,” read another note.
Abdul (who asked that his last name be withheld) lives in the apartment with his wife and their four children. The family believes they’ve been targeted because they are Muslim, but Abdul said they aren’t afraid of deportation.
“I’m here legally and my family is here legally,” said Abdul. “I’m not afraid of the government, but I am worried about our safety.”
Abdul said he doesn’t know who has left the notes but fears the threat may be coming from someone who lives in their apartment building.
“My neighbor, who is also Muslim, also had a note on his door,” said Abdul. “But we don’t know who is leaving them. It’s all very disturbing.”
Now his children are afraid to leave their home to go to school, said Abdul. “I have to go to work so I can’t be at home all the time.”
Abdul and his family moved to Skokie from Afghanistan last year after he was recruited for a job. Now Abdul said he worries his family is in more danger than they were back home.
“Americans invited me from Afghanistan to come here ‘to save our life,’ but my life is not safe,” said Abdul. “Why? Why invite me to come here to America, but America is also unsafe for me.”
Abdul shared his notes to Chicago’s Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, to seek help and spread awareness to other families.
“The fears in the immigrant community are widespread in Chicago,” said Hafsa Haider, communications coordinator at CAIR-Chicago. “Unfortunately we can assume it’s happening to others and likely going unreported due to fears of working with law enforcement given the ICE raids and attacks on Chicago’s sanctuary city status.”
In his inaugural address, Trump claimed immigration policies were providing “sanctuary and protection for dangerous criminals.”
Since beginning his second term, Trump has signed a flurry of executive orders and memos leaving communities across the Chicago area fearing deportation.
State and city officials have vowed to uphold the state and city’s sanctuary laws, which prevent local authorities from assisting ICE from tracking down immigrants who lack legal status. Even so, communities remain on edge.
“We condemn these threats as a dangerous consequence of heightened anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies that embolden vigilantes,” said Heena Musabji, legal direcor at CAIR-Chicago. “Authorities must take these incidents seriously and protect vulnerable communities.”