Working with students at Yollocalli Arts Reach, artist Cecilia Beaven features concepts of contemporary mythology with colorful animals found in the Chicago area.

Fears over possible ICE raids have heightened across the U.S., causing Chicago’s Mexican-American community Little Village to become deserted

A bustling shopping district in Chicago known as the “Mexico of the Midwest” has seen foot traffic plummet by 50% — as residents say they fear the immigration raids promised by President Trump. The sidewalks were empty and some businesses were closed along a two-mile stretch of shops and restaurants on 26th Street in Chicago’s Little Village —  the Windy City’s second busiest retail corridor —  as Trump was sworn into office Monday.

The second busiest retail corridor in Chicago is typically a bustling area dotted with taquerias and Mexican grocery stores in the southwestern part of the city. By Monday afternoon it had turned into a ghost town.

When Dayana Castro heard that the U.S. asylum appointment she waited over a year for was canceled in an instant, she had no doubt: She was heading north any way she could.

The shutdown of the app forced tens of thousands of appointments to request asylum to be canceled — leaving some families split across country lines.

It’s going to be disastrous,” said the head of the local chamber of commerce. “If raids happen and people are too afraid to go out, it’s going to be an impact that’s going to last for years.”

Immigrants in Chicago and other U.S. cities have been preparing for immigration arrests since President-elect Donald Trump won the November election.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson says the city will defend residents "whether you're undocumented, whether you are seeking asylum or whether you're seeking a good paying job."

The incoming Trump administration is reportedly beginning mass deportations next week in the city and across the U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia said "the current threats are nothing new" and advocates are ready to fight for and protect the community.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement made 308 arrests Tuesday, Trump’s first full day in office, Border Czar Tom Homan told Fox News, similar to figures under the Biden administration, which made 282 daily arrests on average in September, the last month for which data is available.

As President Donald Trump cracks down on immigrants in the U.S. illegally, some families are wondering if it is safe to send their children to school.