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During a recent interview on CBS’s “60 Minutes,” President Donald Trump acknowledged that achieving “mission accomplished” status on his administration’s immigration enforcement will require considerable time and effort. His comments come amid ongoing debates and developments related to immigration policies.
In a separate but related matter, Evanston police are currently investigating an incident that occurred on Friday, involving the detention of three U.S. citizens. This situation highlights the complexities and challenges surrounding immigration enforcement in local communities.
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Amid these tensions, community members in Chicago are taking proactive steps to support each other. On Sunday, residents gathered at a yarn shop in Hyde Park, not to knit, but to prepare whistle kits. These kits are being distributed throughout neighborhoods as a means to alert residents when federal immigration agents are present in the area.
“We all feel a bit powerless, and we’re each trying to find our own way to contribute,” remarked Tina Miklas of Fiber Friend Studios. Her sentiment echoes the collective concern and desire for action among many community members.
Volunteer Beth Chipchak expressed a similar motivation, saying, “I’ve been searching for a way to be part of the resistance, to help in some way, because it’s difficult to watch everything that’s happening.” Her involvement underscores the sense of urgency and solidarity felt by those looking to make a difference in their communities.
The event, which drew in folks from across the city, took place just hours before “60 Minutes” broadcasted an interview with Trump in which he was asked about some of the violent actions federal agents have been seen taking against those taking part in that resistance. He was also asked if some of the raids have gone too far.
“No, I think they haven’t gone far enough, because we’ve been held back by the judges, by the liberal judges who were put in by Biden and by Obama,” Trump said.
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When asked if he’s OK with the tactics being used, the president responded, “Yeah, because you’ve got to get the people out.”
Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss appeared on CNN on Sunday morning to push back on allegations that two of the three U.S. citizens who were violently arrested in the north suburb on Friday purposely crashed into a federal agents’ vehicle.
“They’re a bunch of liars. My account is that they deliberately caused the accident,” Biss said of the federal agents involved in the crash. “They forced this car accident. And then, they started literally beating up innocent bystanders. It’s an outrage, and it’s something we’ve got to stand up against.”
Meanwhile, in west suburban Addison, some remain on edge. One week after agents were seen breaking an SUV’s windows and arresting two people at La Huerta supermarket, they were back again on Sunday, causing an immediate reaction from rapid response teams in the area.
“We are a diverse community, and I do feel they are targeting Addison specifically because we do have a huge immigrant population. And they are here to intimidate and terrorize the community,” said rapid responder Maria Sinkule.
Trump stood his ground in that “60 Minutes” interview, insisting that those being arrested and deported, are, as he and others in his administration have said over and over, “the worst of the worst.” According to the Department of Homeland Security, more than 3,000 people have been arrested during operation “Midway Blitz.”
The video in the player above is from a previous report.