CCCTU Statement Opposing Federal Militarization and ICE Surges in Chicago and the Suburbs

*The following statement was unanimously approved by the CCCTU House of Representatives on September 19, 2025

The Cook County College Teachers Union stands in firm opposition to the federal government’s plan to increase the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and deploy National Guard troops in Chicago and across our suburbs. Our community colleges are open, peaceful learning environments that serve immigrants, mixed-status families, first-generation students, and working adults. Militarizing our streets and campuses does not make people safer; it disrupts learning, sows fear, and erects new barriers for students already striving to stay enrolled and succeed.

Troop and ICE surges threaten to deter students from coming to class, visiting the library, or accessing advising, tutoring, food pantries, child care, and counseling. They risk checkpoints or closures that can limit access to campus, create transportation bottlenecks, and strain campus resources as staff are forced to triage fear-driven crises instead of supporting learning. Students who are already on the edge of success do not need additional obstacles; they need stability, trust, and services.

National Guard and ICE deployments do not make us safer. They inevitably invite racial profiling and the terrorizing of Latino and immigrant communities, especially undocumented families who already live with the constant fear of deportation. If the goal were truly safety, the administration would not have frozen $158 million for violence-prevention programs in cities like Chicago, dismantled the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, or terminated more than $800 million in anti-violence grants nationwide. It would invest in proven strategies and community supports instead of turning our neighborhoods into staging grounds for federal enforcement.

Community colleges exist to remove barriers, not build them. CCCTU unequivocally opposes any ICE surge or National Guard deployment in Chicago or the suburbs because these tactics endanger students, disrupt learning, and dampen access to classrooms and services. We insist that campuses remain open, welcoming, and free from civil immigration enforcement absent a judicial warrant, no checkpoints, sweeps, or staging on or near our colleges. CCCTU will stand with our students, coworkers, and communities until this threat is withdrawn.