Business and political leaders at the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s annual conference on Thursday called for support and solidarity, as the federal government continues its aggressive deportation campaign in Chicago that targets Latino communities.
More than 3,000 attendees were expected at the conference and business expo held at Navy Pier.
In opening remarks, Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce CEO Jaime di Paulo said raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the National Guard’s deployment to Chicago this week create fear and uncertainty and stifles economic opportunities.
Those actions create a “negative impression of our city when we should be showcasing our resilience and economic strength,” he said.
Small businesses in Illinois are dealing with “immense challenges,” di Paulo said. He has walked around local Latino commercial corridors that “are like ghost towns” with many stores and restaurants empty.
Latinos contribute billions to the state’s economy, di Paulo said. “Immigrants are not a threat to this country.”
In a statement this summer, di Paulo said in Latino communities across the country “families are living in the shadows. Children are afraid their parents won’t return home from work. … Every customer that walks into a Latino-owned business supports a wider web of economic activity. When fear chokes that flow, we all suffer. Sales decline, jobs disappear and trust erodes.”
In Illinois, the gross domestic product of Latinos exceeds $100 billion, according to the University of California Los Angeles Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture. Spending by Latinos was more than $75 billion in the state. Their labor force participation in Illinois was 79% in 2022, the highest rate among all racial and ethnic groups, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
At the chamber’s conference, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton said recent federal actions “are not about safety. They are about intimidation.” They are meant to “make families and small-business owners afraid for everything they’ve built.”
The federal government has attacked programs that support minority and disadvantaged business owners, but “our administration is committed to supporting Latino businesses,” Stratton said. “Illinois will not be bullied.”
Mayor Brandon Johnson said the “Trump administration is working overtime to divide our communities.” Johnson underscored city efforts to protect Latino communities with executive orders he signed this week. “We will not bend or cower to the tactics of this administration,” he said.
Under the mayor’s executive order, city property — including parking lots next to public schools, libraries, parks and city buildings — cannot be used as staging grounds for ICE raids.
Ald. Andre Vasquez (40th) said President Donald Trump is “weaponizing our government against us.” In Latino neighborhoods like Little Village, streets are quiet and shops are shuttering. “Our collective future is at risk if we ignore these attacks,” he said.
Vasquez, who represents Edgewater, Lincoln Square and other neighborhoods, called for collective action. He urged support for organizations such as the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, as well as speaking up for community protection.
“What would you have done in 1930s Germany?” Vasquez asked conference attendees. “What you do now matters.”
Last month a dead rat and threatening note were left outside Vasquez’s office, sparking calls from city officials for increased security. Vasquez is also chair of the city’s Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights.