We are producing a documentary film, El Sueño / The Dream (working title), with Americas Media Initiative, about immigration in Chicago, currently funded by two Chicago-based foundations. This film offers a unique opportunity to document an unprecedented moment in U.S. immigration history: Chicago—a sanctuary city—now in the crosshairs of the Trump Administration and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The individuals we have been following for more than a year include a Chicago alderman whose parents immigrated from Guatemala and who has been deeply involved in immigrant rights; a Peruvian immigrant father and his daughter, a medical student assisting immigrant families with access to healthcare; and a newly arrived Venezuelan family working to build a new life in Chicago.
We have documented, in depth, the rollout of ICE operations across the city, including protests at the Broadview ICE Processing Center; community actions confronting ICE as agents attempt to detain neighbors; and local elected officials speaking out and organizing efforts to protect immigrant communities and provide critical “Know Your Rights” information.
In addition, we have been in virtual conversation with individuals who were illegally detained and deported while in the process of applying for refugee status or citizenship—people whose lives were abruptly upended, forcing them to leave their homes and families with no clear understanding of when, or if, they will be allowed to return.
The Trump Administration’s immigration policies in Chicago have also galvanized communities in unexpected and energizing ways, forging new alliances across broad swaths of the city—groups that may never have worked together before this moment. A recent Chicago Magazine article highlights select images from our work.
