Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has issued a heartfelt plea to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and top Immigration Enforcement officials, urging them to temporarily suspend enforcement operations in Chicago during the upcoming Halloween weekend. The request comes at a time when many families are eager to celebrate this festive holiday with their children, without any fear of being detained or intimidated by federal agents.
Pritzker's letter, obtained by local media outlets, specifically requests that ICE operations be suspended from Friday to Sunday, away from public areas such as schools, hospitals, parks, and houses of worship. The governor emphasizes that the deployment of tear gas in an Old Irving Park neighborhood four days ago was a traumatic experience for children who witnessed it, leaving them shaken and intimidated.
The letter points out that this incident falls short of federal guidelines regarding enforcement actions at sensitive locations, where protecting civilians should be the top priority. Pritzker's request is also motivated by a desire to shield communities from enforcement action while they access basic services such as education and healthcare.
However, Homeland Security has disputed the governor's claims, stating that multiple warnings were issued before the tear gas was deployed, despite one witness claiming he did not receive any such warning. The agency maintains that their actions in the Old Irving Park neighborhood were justified and lawful.
Pritzker remains adamant, however, that his request is a reasonable one, aimed at protecting innocent children from harm. He urges Noem and her officials to put aside any concerns about enforcing immigration laws during this Halloween weekend and focus on ensuring public safety and well-being.
As the Chicago community prepares for its annual Halloween celebrations, many residents are left wondering whether federal agents will stand down and allow families to enjoy a festive holiday without fear of intimidation or detention. Only time will tell if Pritzker's plea will be heeded, but one thing is clear – many children in this city deserve nothing less than the right to experience joy and freedom on Halloween night.
Pritzker's letter, obtained by local media outlets, specifically requests that ICE operations be suspended from Friday to Sunday, away from public areas such as schools, hospitals, parks, and houses of worship. The governor emphasizes that the deployment of tear gas in an Old Irving Park neighborhood four days ago was a traumatic experience for children who witnessed it, leaving them shaken and intimidated.
The letter points out that this incident falls short of federal guidelines regarding enforcement actions at sensitive locations, where protecting civilians should be the top priority. Pritzker's request is also motivated by a desire to shield communities from enforcement action while they access basic services such as education and healthcare.
However, Homeland Security has disputed the governor's claims, stating that multiple warnings were issued before the tear gas was deployed, despite one witness claiming he did not receive any such warning. The agency maintains that their actions in the Old Irving Park neighborhood were justified and lawful.
Pritzker remains adamant, however, that his request is a reasonable one, aimed at protecting innocent children from harm. He urges Noem and her officials to put aside any concerns about enforcing immigration laws during this Halloween weekend and focus on ensuring public safety and well-being.
As the Chicago community prepares for its annual Halloween celebrations, many residents are left wondering whether federal agents will stand down and allow families to enjoy a festive holiday without fear of intimidation or detention. Only time will tell if Pritzker's plea will be heeded, but one thing is clear – many children in this city deserve nothing less than the right to experience joy and freedom on Halloween night.
? so governor pritzker is literally beggin homeland sec to chill out for halloween weekend 
it's like they wanna keep families safe from all that drama with icen 
i get it, it's a super traumatic event for kids & all but idk if suspending enforcement ops is gonna make a huge diff 
plus what about ppl who actually broke the law? shouldn't be any special treatment just cuz its halloween? 
anywayz, pritzker's right tho kids deservin joy n not havin their Halloween vibes ruined by federal agents 
. It's totally unacceptable that they had to witness tear gas being deployed in a residential area. I mean, can't we just have one weekend where families can celebrate without having to worry about ICE agents showing up? It's not like the feds are going anywhere, but do we really need to be intimidated by them? 
it's like they're ruining the whole vibe of the holiday. pritzker's asking for a temporary suspension of enforcement ops, but i think that's a pretty reasonable request considering all the kids who were traumatized by the tear gas incident in old irving park. it's not just about shielding communities from enforcement action, it's also about giving families peace of mind while they're trying to celebrate with their kids 
what if those federal agents showed up at your house or school on halloween? wouldn't you want them to stay away?
My cousin has a kid who's all hyped for Halloween this year and I just wanna make sure the little dude can go trick-or-treating without any adulting drama 
What if Homeland Security comes knocking on their door? That'd be totally not cool, bro... Maybe Pritzker knows something we don't, but it seems like common sense would say let the kids have some peace and quiet 
I think its super unfair that ICE can just swoop in and use tear gas on a kid for no good reason 
. We gotta protect our youth, you know? It's like, they're trying to celebrate Halloween without being all stressed out or anything 
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as for noem's agency saying there were warnings before the tear gas was deployed, i'd love to know more about those warnings... seems fishy to me 
ICE gotta chill out, fam! 
! Who doesn't love a good trick-or-treat party? 
But for the little ones to feel safe, no federal agents lurking around 
. Pritzker's right 
. We gotta protect our kiddos from all this stress 
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for the kids who saw it! 
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. Let's just enjoy our spooky season in peace 
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