A dead rat and a threatening hand-written note describing immigrants as “vermin” were left outside the office of a Chicago official, amid heightened tensions as immigration officials conduct raids in the city.
The rat and the derogatory note were found Sunday night outside the office of Chicago Alderman Andre Vasquez, of the 40th ward, who is also chair of the City Council’s Immigrant and Refugee Rights Committee.
The dead rat was laid on the pavement at the front of his office, with a note taped to the door which said: “Move the illegals and the rats out of the 40th ward! They are both Vermin!”It also said: “Support ICE! Their work will get illegals out of our country and lower taxes.”
“I think it’s the first time we’ve seen something this level,” Vasquez said, according to a CBS report.
In a statement on Facebook, he added, “In this current political climate, we take these threats seriously and are working with the Chicago Police Department to investigate.
“In the meantime, the 40th Ward Office will remain open. We are and will always be steadfast in our commitment to serving 40th Ward neighbors and supporting the rights of the immigrant community.”
The threats against Vasquez come as the Trump administration carries out a significant immigration enforcement effort dubbed Operation “Midway Blitz” in Chicago, which targets individuals described as “criminal illegal aliens” due to Illinois’s sanctuary policies.
Last week, a man was shot dead by an ICE agent during an immigration raid in Chicago after the suspect allegedly drove his car into officials.
Before the incident, Vasquez wrote in a Facebook post that Chicago does not “need or want ICE in our city”.
He said: “We fully reject Operation Midway Blitz and any other authoritarian attempt to seize control of our city. We demand that the administration end their occupation of our city and their attacks on our people before any more of them are hurt or killed. We don’t need or want ICE in our city, and we don’t need or want federal law enforcement to keep our people safe.”
Vasquez said he hoped police would catch whoever left the rat and the note because he’d like to discuss it with them.
“I think even being able to have a conversation with the person and get an idea of where they’re coming from? Because the fact they articulated lowering taxes indicates it’s someone who’s having a hard time paying their bills,” he told CBS.
Police said no arrests have been made, but three detectives are investigating the incident.
