A mother, grandmother, and organizer who was detained in a mass arrest by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials earlier this month in the South Loop is being kept in “inhumane” conditions in a Kentucky jail, according to organizers at a press conference.
Gladis Yolanda Chavez Pineda, an organizer with Organized Communities Against Deportations, was among at least ten people arrested on June 4. Chavez Pineda has recounted the circumstances of three facilities where she has been confined since being seized in phone calls with her young daughter and lawyers, according to Antonio Gutierrez, leader of Organized Communities Against Deportations.
Chavez Pineda and other immigrants detained last week at check-ins for a monitoring program in the South Loop are being held in a Kentucky jail, according to Gutierrez.
“People are sleeping on concrete floors. Last Sunday, one mattress was given to a group of 20 mothers to share. No blankets are given, no hygiene products,” he said. “There is no privacy. In one of the facilities, only one bathroom is given to 20 or more individuals, with no partitions and privacy.”
Chavez Pineda was detained in the South Loop and sent to an ICE processing center in Illinois, where she remained for a few days before being transferred to a detention center in Kentucky. She was being held at Grayson County Jail in Kentucky on Wednesday, according to Gutierrez. ICE’s records as of Thursday night indicated the same.
Chavez Pineda has been in the United States for more than ten years, aggressively seeking refuge.
Chavez Pineda was persecuted in her native country of Honduras and had an asylum petition pending at the time of her detention, according to Liz Willis, supervising attorney for Beyond Legal Aid, which is defending her.
When she was detained, Chavez Pineda had a pending petition for reconsideration of her case before the United States Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Days after her detention, the court granted a temporary stay order, indicating that “the case likely has some legal merit,” according to Willis.
Chavez Pineda was in an immigration monitoring program, wore an ankle bracelet, had no missed check-ins or court hearings, and had met all immigration criteria, according to Willis.
Willis stated that Chavez Pineda’s lawyers have been unable to speak with ICE to determine why she is still imprisoned. A petition demanding her release has received over 10,000 signatures.
In the petition, one of her daughters stated, “My mother is my hero. She took on the roles of mother and father after my father died in 2014. She left her life and family behind to provide better opportunities for my brothers and me. She works hard every day for long hours and has never faced legal issues. She deserves to be happy and free so she can keep spreading positive energy.”
ICE did not immediately reply to Block Club’s inquiries on the circumstances at the Broadview Processing Center and the Kentucky Detention Center, including the number of people who can be housed and the availability of beds and restrooms. The Grayson County Detention Center did not immediately respond to the Block Club’s request for comment.
Chavez Pineda’s arrest comes as the city prepares for an influx of federal officials to conduct immigration sweeps.
During a congressional hearing held by Republican leaders on Thursday, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker defended local sanctuary laws, according to CBS.
Federal officials are using “deceptive” tactics to arrest immigrants while offering minimal information to the public, including wearing masks to conceal their identity and neglecting to identify themselves, organizers alleged during a press conference Thursday.
“This cannot go on. We must hold ICE accountable,” Gutierrez stated.
Organizers are ready to respond to probable ICE raids in workplaces, such as ones seen in Los Angeles, by teaching individuals about their rights, reporting ICE sightings, and assisting families of detained immigrants.
On Wednesday, Cristina Pacione-Zayas, the chief of staff for Mayor Brandon Johnson, stated that ICE tactical teams would “target workplaces in terms of the raids.”
“I know my community and city are resilient, and that is something Trump and his administration cannot take away,” said Andrea Ortiz, director of organizing for the Brighton Park Community Council.
Workers are afraid to go to work, bring their children to school, attend church, or speak up against workplace abuses, according to Marcos Ceniceros, executive director of Warehouse Workers for Justice.
Thousands of people marched through downtown Chicago on Tuesday and hundreds more on Thursday to protest the deployment of ICE agents and to support municipal sanctuary laws. Tens of thousands attended this weekend’s No Kings demonstration, which was designed to protest Trump and his policies.
“People are making their voices heard and saying that ICE is not welcome in our cities and our communities,” said Lawrence Benito, executive director for the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights.