A Skokie family was threatened with deportation by means of two letters taped on their front door, according to the nonprofit Council on American-Islamic Relations. The group believes immigration officials did not write the letters and suspects they are the work of vigilantes emboldened by anti-immigrant rhetoric.
Both letters were written by hand. The first says “President Donald Trump deportation is coming. (sic) President Trump will Deport all migrants.” (sic) Another letter says, “Yes, President Donald Trump deportation is coming for you!!! (sic) Finally.”
One of the letters was signed, “Imigration (sic) and Customer Enforcement.”
Both letters contain the words “We will call” and a phone number for the Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Skokie Police Chief Jesse Barnes said the department is in communication with the family. He welcomed any Skokie residents who feel harassed or discriminated against to contact Skokie police at (847) 982-5900.
Hafsa Haider, the communications coordinator for the Chicago Chapter of CAIR, said the Skokie man’s first name is Abdul and that he doesn’t feel safe sharing his full name for fear of continued threats. She said CAIR’s legal team is coordinating with police, hoping the perpetrator will be charged with a hate crime.
Haider said Abdul suspects that the letter likely came from someone who lives in the same apartment complex on Jan. 24, days before federal immigration officers carried out arrests in Chicago and the suburbs.
“It was the height of when those ICE raid rumors were getting leaked and Trump was really putting it out in the media about coming hard on Chicago,” said Haider. “It seemed to incite vigilantism in the community.”
Haider said the family, with four children who are around elementary-school age, has lived in Skokie for about a year since immigrating from Afghanistan. “Everyone so far in their building has been so nice. They’ve been very friendly with the neighbors,” she said.
But the letters have dramatically changed the family’s perception of their safety, Haider said.
“They don’t feel safe at home,” Haider said, pointing out that the family does have legal status.
CAIR’s press release says they are lawful permanent residents.
Haider said it was possible that the letters were taped to the front door of the family’s apartment unit by someone who felt emboldened to do so by elected officials who promote what she called hateful rhetoric and hate speech against the Muslim community.
As an example of hateful rhetoric leading to a tragic outcome, she cited the example of six-year-old Wadee Alfayoumi, who was killed by his Plainfield landlord in October 2023 because he was Palestinian.
“It was widely noted that (Wadee’s) landlord was radicalized by mass media and hysteria about the Palestinian community,” she said. “A lot of times it can be these large figures who are negatively impacting their own constituents.”
