Rogers Park Neighbors Rally in Solidarity as Community Responds to ICE Arrests

By Socialhood News · Il/Chicago/Rogers Park · October 20, 2025

Over 400 Rogers Park residents gathered this past weekend in a powerful display of community solidarity following Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests in the neighborhood. The demonstration, organized by local group Protect RP, took place at the intersection of Lunt Avenue and Clark Street on October 11, after ICE agents arrested four people, including a local tamale vendor, two days prior.

Hundreds lined Clark Street in what organizers called the largest Protect RP turnout to date, filling the Wild Onion Market/La Michoacana parking lot. The community mobilization came in response to ICE arrests that occurred along Clark Street between Lunt Avenue and Howard Street on October 9 and 10, with at least four people reportedly taken into custody. One local tamale vendor, who has operated in the neighborhood for 37 years, was able to avoid arrest after showing documentation, while another tamale vendor was reportedly arrested outside a nearby Walgreens on Clark Street.

Protect Rogers Park has organized neighborhood patrols and ICE Watch programs, with dozens of trained members patrolling Clark Street by car, bike, and on foot within minutes of the first confirmed arrest. "They're bullies," said Gabe Gonzalez, an organizer with Protect RP. "We've seen that when we have large numbers of volunteers out here, they target us less." Residents interested in supporting the community response can join the Protect RP network or visit local businesses along Clark Street to help keep the area vibrant during this challenging time.

Sources:
1. https://blockclubchicago.org/2025/10/12/400-rogers-park-neighbors-rally-after-ice-arrests-4-including-tamale-vendor/
2. https://windycitytimes.com/2025/10/15/rogers-park-resists-ice-invasion/
3. https://truthout.org/articles/when-ice-came-to-our-chicago-neighborhood-we-were-ready-to-respond/