Rapid Response

Get Involved Now to Support Your Immigrant Neighbors!

Now is the time for ALL Americans to stand up and get active to protect their vulnerable neighbors. ONE Northside is coordinating the North Side's rapid response activities during this moment of crisis - drawing on our relationships with dozens of local schools, congregations, organizations, mutual aid networks, elected officials, and hundreds of committed community members.

Get involved in your own neighborhood through our three main strategies: NEIGHBOR-TO-NEIGHBOR SOLIDARITY, EDUCATION, and COMMUNITY DEFENSE.

NEIGHBOR-TO-NEIGHBOR SOLIDARITY

Neighbor-to-neighbor (N2N) support is a system where trusted allies help vulnerable people reduce their risks. This can mean help with everyday tasks like getting groceries, running errands, school pick up & drop off, or more time-intensive help like filling out documents, and accompanying to appointments.

Create a Neighbor-to-Neighbor network in your institution

Work with your school, church, or other institution to support vulnerable neighbors in your community.

"How to" template for creating a N2N network

The CTU has a toolkit specifically for schools - find it here.

Sanctuary Toolkit

Volunteer for ONE Northside's N2N network

Not connected to an existing institution already involved in rapid response work but ready to dig in and help out? Fill out this form to let us know how and where you can help out, and we can connect you with vulnerable neighbors who need help through our N2N network.

Please note that we're getting lots of volunteer sign ups (thanks!) and the intake process takes time, for security and privacy reasons. Thanks for your patience!

Volunteer Intake Form

EDUCATION

We're working to bring added capacity to educate our neighbors about what's going on, their rights, how they can create family emergency plans, and how they can access resources they may need during this time.

Learn what your rights are!

Many partners across the city are leading Know Your Rights trainings every week, in Spanish and English.

ICIRR KYR Trainings - online

Citywide Trainings

The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant & Refugee Rights (ICIRR) has shared this simple document to help know your rights when interacting with immigration officers.

Know Your Rights Info (English)

Know Your Rights Info (Spanish)

If you have already taken a Know Your Rights training and just need a refresher or want a quick guide to post or share with others, here is a handout you can download and share.

Risk reduction resources

Risk reduction resources for vulnerable immigrants are available at our website below. These are available in English, Spanish, Urdu, Hindi, simplified Mandarin, Viet and Dari.

Printed versions in English and Spanish are also availble to be picked up at the ICA building front desk, 4750 N Sheridan Rd, and the Morse side entrance of the United Church of Rogers Park, 1545 W Morse.

Risk Reduction Resources

Help your neighbors know their rights

Join us as we canvass in Rogers Park, Edgewater, Uptown, and West Ridge to make sure that our communities know their rights - no experience needed!

Join a KYR canvass

Request a Know Your Rights training for your institution

As an individual you can join a training led by one of our partners, but if you want to have a KYR training in your own institution, let us know. Send us an email to request a KYR training for your school, church, or other organization.

More resources

We've compiled a big list of resources from across the city and the North Side with useful links on many topics in this moment of crisis- guides from our local elected officials, the Chicago Coalition to end Homelessness, the ACLU and more.

Check out the Resources

COMMUNITY DEFENSE

We're supporting existing rapid response networks that mobilize trained community members to document and defend our communities from federal activity that harms our vulnerable neighbors.

ICE Watch Trainings

Join the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR)'s Know Your Rights + Migra Watch Training. This training aims to equip participants with ways to exercise our rights when encountering federal immigration enforcement actions. Offered weekly, online.

Migra Watch Training - English & Español

4 actions anyone can take right now

Four actions everyone in Chicago can do:

Save this number in your phone and call it if you have a suspected ICE sighting or need assistance with an ICE detention: 855-435-7693
Sign up for the ICIRR/OCAD Eyes on ICE alert system to be alerted to ICE activity in your area.
Remember to share verified sightings ONLY - spread information, not panic.
Get a whistle and learn whistle protocols - three short blasts if you see ICE; long sustained blasts if you see someone being actively detained. Remember - form a crowd and stay loud. We keep us safe! Be brave!

Here's a guide for how to safely document ICE, if you do encounter them.

Here's a guide for what to look for when documenting an ICE sighting (S.A.L.U.T.E. / A.C.T.U.A.R.)

Join the North Side community defense

We recommend starting with a Know Your Rights training from one of the many organizations offering these throughout the city before jumping into community defense.

Also please be aware that ONE Northside and other rapid response networks are receiving many volunteer inquiries right now and it takes time and effort to safely connect folks to community defense work - please have patience, and thanks for signing up! In the meantime, check out the other resources on this page for things you can do right away, trainings to join, etc.

If you're already done a training, sign up here to get involved in rapid response for Uptown, Edgewater, Lakeview and Lincoln Park.

Volunteer for Northside Lakefront Rapid Response

To get involved in Community Defense in Rogers Park and West Ridge, connect with Protect Rogers Park - protectrp626 @ gmail.