The streets in Chicago’s Little Village, a neighborhood with many Hispanic residents, have become unusually quiet. People are afraid to go out because of a heightened immigration crackdown under Donald Trump’s policies.

The focus of the crackdown is on arresting migrant criminals, but there are also concerns that even people who are not criminals could be arrested as part of “collateral arrests.” This has made both undocumented immigrants and those with legal status anxious about leaving their homes.

Steve, a local resident, worries about his mother, who came to the U.S. from Mexico years ago without proper papers. He says she is afraid to leave the house, not knowing if she will be picked up by immigration officers.

To protect themselves, a community center that supports immigrants has added extra security. The entrance gate stays locked, and staff look out for ICE officers before opening for the day. A sign on the door gives instructions on what to do if ICE shows up.

Oliber, a Venezuelan migrant with a valid work permit, shared how the fear of raids has changed his life. He says he’s now much more cautious about where he goes and what he does. For many immigrants, the fear of being detained has made daily life much more difficult.

“I feel scared,” he said. “I go out feeling frightened. I don’t go out now like I used to. I used to go out every day until night-time, I’d work at any time, but now I can’t go out anywhere.”

He added: “There are rumours about migrants and I’m scared, that they might catch me, deport me. My family depends on me. I can’t go out like I used to, I’m scared, I’m scared.”