Ways to Get Involved to Support Immigrant Families in Chicago – Ald. Timmy Knudsen Toolkit
ICE activity in Chicago is an emergency for our neighbors and our city — one that demands action from all of us. Families across Chicago are facing fear and uncertainty, and it’s up to us as Chicagoans to band together and protect our own. Below are concrete ways you can stand in solidarity and make a difference — whether you have time, skills, or simply a phone. (This is being updated daily w/ at-need opportunities from Hands off Chicago, other Alderpeople, activists, and more, and I will re-post more opportunities through my social media pages.)
1. Save the ICIRR Family Support Hotline
Add 1-855-435-7693 (HELP-MY-FAMILY) to your phone to rapidly report ICE activity. Rapid response is essential to connecting impacted people with urgent support.
👉 Learn more about the hotline
2. Use Your Language Skills to Support Immigrant Families
Translators and interpreters are urgently needed to help families understand their rights and access critical services. You don’t need certification — just fluency in another language (Spanish priority), and a willingness to help.
👉 Volunteer your language skills
3. Donate to Local Relief Efforts
Donate to ICIRR (Illinois Coalition of Immigrant and Refugee Rights), the Resurrection Project, or a local mutual aid group helping families impacted by ICE actions.
👉 Donate to ICIRR
***Grassroots mutual aid links are emerging across Chicago. A few secure examples include:
- Albany Park Community United Fund, bringing emergency supplies to families at risk and out of work
- GoFundMe for Ofelia the North Side Student whose father was detained while she battles cancer
- GoFundMe for the Chicago Food Vendor Relief Fund
- Belmont Cragin Amazon Wishlist to cover costs of whistle packets
- GoFundMe for the family taken at Millennium Park
- GoFundMe for Maricela Rosales Castillo, featured on MSNBC
- GoFundMe for Maria Lopez, tamale vendor taken from Little Village
- GoFundMe for family of Constantina Ramirez and Moises Enciso, detained by ICE during a traffic stop on Cicero Avenue & Pershing on September 14, 2025
- Fund to support the Southwest Side Rapid Response Team.
4. Provide Urgent Legal Support
If you’re a lawyer or law student, your help is desperately needed for emergency cases, asylum filings, and deportation defense. Volunteers can also assist at legal clinics and community events.
👉 Sign up to volunteer
5. Request or Join a “Know Your Rights” Seminar
Use this form to request a Know Your Rights seminar in your community — or sign up for a pre-scheduled session to learn how to respond safely during ICE encounters or workplace raids.
👉 Request or join a seminar
6. Sign Up for “Eyes On ICE” Text Alerts
Stay informed with real-time alerts about confirmed ICE activity in your area. Eyes On ICE notifies subscribers by ZIP code whenever verified ICE presence is reported — helping communities respond quickly and keep families safe.
👉 Sign up for text alerts
7. Join the ICIRR Court Watch Program
Help protect due process by observing and bearing witness at detained immigrants’ hearings in Chicago (most are online via Webex). Your presence promotes transparency and accountability in immigration courts.
👉 Email icirrcourtwatch@gmail.com to get involved.
8. Know Your Rights if a Friend or Loved One Is Detained
If someone you know is detained by ICE or law enforcement, it’s vital to know how to respond. The National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) guide explains your rights, how to locate someone in custody, and how to get legal help fast.
👉 Read the NIJC guide
* Additional Resources for Protests & Encounters with Law Enforcement
If you attend a protest or witness law enforcement activity, it’s important to know your rights and have legal support ready. Save the number for First Defense Legal Aid — 1-800-LAW-REP4 (800-529-7374) — a trauma-informed, 24/7 hotline that connects callers with civil rights attorneys, stationhouse defense, and community referrals in English and Spanish. You can also read and share the Know Your Rights for Chicago Activists guide or their more detailed website version, to help you and your neighbors stay informed and protected during demonstrations.
Chicago has always shown up for our neighbors. Let’s keep showing up now — with our time, our skills, and our voices. Please share this toolkit with your neighbors, schools, and community groups. Together, we can make sure every Chicagoan feels protected and supported. – Ald. Timmy Knudsen