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player ready...Lake County Board member Esiah Campos, the first and only Latino to serve on the board, railed against a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision to allow immigration agents to profile people based on race, language, location and job, at the end of Tuesday’s board meeting.
His comments come as the county sees itself swept up in the national fight over deportation, with the Great Lakes Naval Base becoming “ground zero for ICE operations” in Chicago, Campos said.
Lake County, as well as several local municipalities, have put out statements referencing the potential of deportation operations in the area, affirming that they won’t participate in federal immigration enforcement and acknowledging the rising fears and concerns in the community.
The base has seen hundreds of protesters since news broke that it would be the base of operations for President Donald Trump’s threatened immigration crackdown in the Chicagoland area.
Most recently, the Department of Homeland Security announced it was launching “Operation Midway Blitz” to target “criminal illegal aliens.” The operation is “in honor” of Katie Abraham, a 20-year-old killed in Illinois in a drunk driving hit-and-run earlier this year by an allegedly undocumented and drunk driver. Twenty-one-year-old Deerfield resident Chloe Polzin was also killed.
In his statement and comments made after the meeting, Campos blasted the Supreme Court’s decision as “legalized racism” and a “direct attack” on both the Fourth Amendment and the “very principles of justice and equality.” Campos, the grandson of an immigrant and a Navy veteran, also criticized the use of the naval station.
“This decision attacks so many parts of who I am,” he said. “I know firsthand the pain and suffering that families will endure because of this action, and I stand firmly against it.”
Campos said the moment requires action, especially from fellow Latinos in political office, warning that “silence in the face of this injustice is complicity.” He said he’s working with Lake County Attorney Eric Rinehart on a publication to push for all the county’s municipalities to “reaffirm” they will follow state law and not assist in immigration raids.
“The community needs to see that their leaders are standing beside them,” Campos said.
Campos also has concerns about what the coming weeks and months hold. Threats last weekend of deportation efforts kicking off failed to materialize, although several area Hispanic-heritage events have been postponed or cancelled. He warned that if “something is going to happen, it will happen very quickly.”
“I think it is deliberate,” Campos said. “It adds to the level of fear. We’re continuing to remain vigilant.”