Bloomington ICE Vigil Calling for “Welcoming Cities Ordinance”

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The Democratic Socialists of America in Bloomington organized a vigil last week on the night of a city council meeting calling on the town to enact the “Welcoming Cities Ordinance”.

This is not the first time the city has heard of this ordinance. Two years ago, both Normal and Bloomington were given this ordinance to vote on, but only the town of Normal approved it.

The “Welcoming Cities Ordinance” would make Bloomington a city that welcomes all immigrants. It would also mean the Bloomington Police Department would not cooperate with ICE.

Concerned citizens from local schools, students and professors, as well as a professor from Chicago spoke of their experiences with ICE.

One phrase that was shared was, “This system is outrageous, they keep our kids in cages.”

While the vigil was sparked by the recent reports on ICE, Vigil Organizer Nestor Makhno said the issues go much deeper than this.

“This goes back to how we treated indigenous peoples when we first came here with the establishment of this country,” said Makhno. “This a continuation of genocide.”

Among the several teachers who attended the vigil was Cecelia Long, a professor at Heartland Community College. She came for several reasons, but especially to support her students.

“One of my students in particular, her father was taken away during the pandemic, making her the sole income earner of her family to take care of her siblings and mother. It’s not right,” said Long.

The vigil started at city hall. Those who attended were given chalk to write messages for the council to read. Many people wrote, “Keep families together.”

After the speakers finished, the group walked to the Museum Square. They chanted sayings such as, “Abolish Ice.”

The night ended with music, and a few people hanging around with signs for cars driving by to read. The City of Bloomington has yet to bring the “Welcoming City Ordinance” back to the table officially.