Residents concerned Mexican Independence Day Parade may be a target

Several protestors took to the streets of Joliet and Chicago on Saturday to protest President Donald Trump administration’s policies for the likely deployment of National Guard troops in the Chicago area and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) raids.

The protest was held in the busy section of Route 30 and Mall Loop Drive near the Louis Joliet Mall. The protest was organized by Unison, a Joliet-area group, who has also organized previous demonstrations against Trump’s policies.

According to information on the group’s Facebook page, protestors concerned the ICE raids could target the Hispanic community around the Mexican Independence Day Parade and during National Hispanic Heritage Month, which is from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.

The City of Joliet will host its Mexican Independence Day Parade, in cooperation with Joliet City Center Partnership, at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13, in the Collins Street corridor.  Joliet has been hosting the parade for more than six decades. The parade will begin at Columbia and Collins and end at Cass and Collins streets.

A Protester at the event, Jim Childs of Joliet said he came to demonstrate because he is against Trump and Department of Homeland Security’s Operation Midway Blitz, which targets undocumented immigrants.

“This is an overreach of our government sending National Guard troops,” he said. “I am worried about ICE targeting my neighbors who are honest people trying to make a living.”

While he watched from the sidelines to see what the demonstration was about in Joliet, Cesar Ramirez of Shorewood said he agrees with Trump when it comes to sending the National Guard troops to Chicago.

“Anyone who tells me Chicago does not have a problem with shootings is just lying to themselves,” he said. “Children and young people are getting killed and if it keeps one person safe, I am all for it. Look at how much crime went down when the National Guard was deployed in Washington D.C.”

Maria Cardenas of Joliet said she is worried about potential government overreach.

“This is getting way overboard,” she said. “I am all for deporting illegals who committed crimes in this country. But I will not stand for deporting people who came to this country to make a better life for their family.”