Chicago, IL — This morning, federal agents entered the Rayito del Sol Spanish Immersion Early Learning Center in Roscoe Village and violently detained a preschool teacher in front of staff and children. In response, Anabel Mendoza, a lifelong Chicagoan, immigrant rights organizer, and the youngest candidate running for Illinois’ 7th Congressional District, issued the following statement: 

“Dragging a teacher out of a preschool in front of terrified children is indefensible and disgusting, and the agents responsible for this must be investigated immediately. This is not safety; it is state-sanctioned intimidation and violence that puts kids, educators,  families, and our entire city at risk using our taxpayer dollars. The Trump Administration has made it clear that it will continue to turn everyday spaces into sites of fear, aggression and surveillance. 

“The billions of dollars wasted on ICE and CBP’s abuse are taxpayer dollars that aren’t  going to our underfunded public schools, our strained healthcare system, or ensuring our neighbors can access SNAP benefits and don’t have to go to bed hungry. Our communities deserve transformational investments in the resources that truly keep us safe, not for our city and preschools to be turned into battlegrounds for vile political theater. As I have done for years working in the immigrant rights movement –standing shoulder to shoulder with immigrant youth–I demand accountability, an end to these militarized raids, and protections for all our neighbors.”

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Anabel Mendoza is a community organizer, immigrant advocate, and the youngest candidate running for Congress in Illinois’ 7th District. A lifelong Chicagoan and the proud daughter and granddaughter of immigrants, she has dedicated her career to fighting for working families, immigrant rights, and a government that serves people, not corporations. She’s running to bring unity, honesty, and courage to Washington. For more information, visit www.anabelforcongress.com.