Donald Trump is fanning a dangerous lie: that persecuting immigrants somehow benefits Black people.
By U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly and U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García
Aug 13, 2025: Chicago’s history is deeply rooted in the immigrants and diverse communities who have contributed to making it a thriving city, starting from its founder, Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable, a Black Haitian immigrant. Throughout the 19th century, Chicago welcomed waves of newcomers, from Europeans escaping famine, Mexicans seeking work and safety and Black Americans escaping Jim Crow oppression during the Great Migration. Each group shaped the city’s culture, economy and politics. Chicago has always drawn its strength from this diversity. We are a city built by workers, by strivers, by those who believe in a better future — and we’ve led the nation with laws that welcome and protect those newcomers. We cannot and will not be divided.
Chicago’s ability to embrace diversity and unity led to the election of its first Black mayor, Harold Washington, powered by a multiracial coalition determined to change the status quo. In the decades since, our city has worked hard to bridge divides and ensure that everyone can thrive regardless of their background.
This is President Donald Trump’s worst fear. So his administration is doing everything it can to divide us. Its mass deportation agenda is indiscriminately terrorizing immigrants, targeting hardworking and long-standing community members and ripping families apart.
The administration spreads lies and blames immigrants for an increase in crime, even though crime has been trending downward in the city since before Trump took office in January, and undocumented people commit crimes at a lower rate than U.S. citizens. Meanwhile, the president incited an insurrection to overturn an election, pardoned 1,500 rioters and was separately convicted of 34 felony counts for covering up hush money payments related to an affair.
Trump is fanning a dangerous lie: that persecuting immigrants somehow benefits Black people. It’s a divide-and-conquer strategy designed to pit our communities against each other. We need to call it what it is — and be clear: Donald Trump does not care about Black people.
He has a long record of racist and dehumanizing remarks about Black communities. He has tried to erase Black history, slashed funding for programs that uplift Black families and blamed diversity, equity and inclusion for tragedies. He has surrounded himself with white supremacists like Stephen Miller. And he has disproportionately targeted Black immigrants.
Trump’s so-called “Big Beautiful Bill Act” does not invest in housing, jobs or education for Black or Latino neighborhoods. Instead, it pours $100 billion into U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, turning it into the largest police force in the country — bigger than the FBI — with more detention capacity than the entire federal prison system. This means more raids, more people kidnapped off the streets with no regard for due process and more families separated.
ICE has been unleashed in our communities to increase deportation quotas, sending masked agents to our schools, churches and places of work. According to data collected by the Chicago Tribune, ICE detentions in the Chicago area skyrocketed, reaching 1,372 by the end of June, most with no criminal record.
Black people know what it means to be targeted by the government. Generations have lived through the brutality of racist policing and over-incarceration. Families have lost mothers and fathers, daughters and sons, to police violence. Now that same machinery is tearing apart immigrant families, too.
And Trump isn’t just targeting Latino immigrants. Black immigrants represent only 5% of the undocumented population, but make up 20% of those facing deportation.
Immigrants are our neighbors, our teachers, health professionals, business owners, colleagues and fellow community members. Illinois is home to nearly 1.9 million immigrants who contribute to our economy. At the national level, undocumented immigrants contribute $579 billion in taxes, $25 billion to Social Security, and $6.4 billion to Medicare, benefits they often cannot access themselves.
When Black and Brown communities stand together, we are powerful. We can fight back against these attacks — against mass deportations, catastrophic budget cuts and the politics of fear. Together, we demand a country that values every life, protects every family and delivers justice for all.
U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly represents the 2nd District in Illinois and is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus. U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García represents the 4th District in Illinois, and is a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
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Photo caption: Hundreds of anti-Trump protesters rally in Federal Plaza before marching to Trump Tower on Inauguration Day. Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times