Detained most affected by federal immigration raids, but we all pay the price

In recent weeks, residents across the northwest suburbs have watched as masked federal immigration agents detained people in neighborhoods, apartment complexes and near schools. These raids have left families afraid to leave their homes, workers missing from their jobs and children too frightened to attend class. This is a crisis affecting the stability of our towns and the well-being of everyone who lives here. People are being taken from our communities without due process, and families are left with little to no answers about where their loved ones are being held or what conditions they’re facing.

The people being targeted are not strangers. They are our neighbors, church members and small business owners. They work and shop and go to school in our communities. When these residents are detained or driven into hiding, entire families collapse under fear and uncertainty. The community loses not only valued people but also the trust and cohesion that make our towns strong.

But the damage also shows up in our local economies. When U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents target workplaces and neighborhoods, the harm extends far beyond those detained. Businesses lose both their workers and customers. Schools and clinics lose enrollment and funding. Local governments lose sales tax and service revenue. The ripple effects are everywhere.

Chappie’s Cafe in Palatine recently announced its closure after repeated visits from ICE. A shop owner in Rolling Meadows told us her business is down more than 60% since the raids began. Manufacturers are preemptively firing workers without documentation out of fear of the Trump administration.

Customers are staying home, employees are laid off or too scared to work, and entire shopping centers feel the impact. When businesses close, landlords lose tenants, nearby properties lose value and our towns lose the tax revenue that keeps basic services running.

This leads to a clear financial consequence: higher property taxes. When businesses close and families leave, the tax base shrinks, but the costs of running a community do not. Towns still need to pay teachers, firefighters and public works staff. That means the burden shifts to the remaining homeowners and small businesses.

Every dollar lost in local spending has to be replaced somewhere. Fewer shoppers mean less business activity. Fewer students mean less school funding. Fewer families mean fewer homes occupied and maintained. The outcome is predictable: higher taxes, weaker schools and slower economic growth.

The individuals being targeted are part of what makes our suburbs work. When they are forced out of our communities, we all pay the price, both financially and socially.

Our towns need a smarter, more responsible approach, one that focuses on genuine public safety rather than blanket fear. Policies that cause families to hide, classrooms to empty, and small businesses to close are not making us stronger. They are hollowing out the very communities that make the northwest suburbs a place people are proud to call home.

It’s time to recognize the true cost of these raids. They are not just hurting immigrants. They are hurting every one of us.

State Rep. Mary Beth Canty represents the 54th District of Illinois.

State Rep. Nicolle Grasse represents the 53rd District of Illinois.

State Rep. Nabeela Syed represents the 51st District of Illinois.