CHICAGO (WLS) — Federal workers rallied Wednesday afternoon, demanding changes from Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The workers want to see ICE raids end.
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They feel working for the government is becoming dangerous.
Some federal workers spent lunch hour sharing concerns about working in proximity to ICE, as actions by ICE agents have drawn criticism and protests.
The group, represented by their unions, rallied on Federal Plaza against ICE actions.
They say working in federal buildings puts them at risk.
“The public is confusing us, and they don’t have confidence that they can safely interact with us,” stated Colin Smalley from the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers.
Recent arrests by ICE agents sparked protests in Chicago and other parts of the country. Some have become violent.
The arrests and deportations are a mandate from the Trump administration to get criminals out of the country.
While there are inquiries about who is being detained and the reasons for it, some federal government employees express concerns about being mistakenly identified by the public or even ICE agents.
“The fact that they’ve deported citizens has me terrified,” said Luis Antonio Flores, with American Federation of Labor, Local 704.
Flores said he and colleagues have been sent home early due to protests, and he says he’s concerned his ethnicity could make him a target.
“As someone with a Latino name and brown skin, it’s not unreasonable to worry that if they are arbitrarily detaining people to meet a quota, I might be picked up on my way to work, lunch, or home,” said Flores.
The lunch hour ended, and the workers returned back to their duties in their federal offices.
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