Vandals target immigration organizations in Little Village
Several buildings in Little Village were vandalized early Saturday, including some with swastikas.
The front door of Latinos Progresando, 2724 W. Cermak Road, was tagged with a swastika in black spray paint sometime around midnight, according to the organization and Chicago police.
Two other buildings on that block and another building in the 2500 block of South Central Park Avenue were also vandalized with spray paint, police said, but the nature of the vandalism on those buildings wasn’t disclosed.
Latinos Progresando, which provides immigration legal assistance, education programs and other services, said in a statement that the other buildings targeted also house groups provide similar services to the community.
No arrests were reported, and detectives are investigating the incidents, police said.
The organization claimed the vandals targeted the buildings because of the immigration services they provide.
“Let’s be clear about one thing — Latinos Progresando will not back away from our values or be deterred from our work because of this heinous criminal act. We are not going anywhere,” Latinos Progresando said in a statement.
Chicago’s Latino community has been on edge since President Donald Trump assumed office this year. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and other federal authorities have swarmed the city in response to Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement effort.
“We know that many in our community are frightened, and events like the one this morning make that fear even more real,” Latinos Progresando’s statement continued.
“But for 27 years Latinos Progresando has been a part of Chicago, and we will continue to work each day to help those in need, while celebrating our Mexican community. While these perpetrators are emboldened to terrorize, we call on our neighbors, elected leaders, and all Chicagoans to be even more emboldened to stand together in the fight to protect our communities.”