On December 7, a federal agent was involved in a collision that led to an escalated struggle between multiple Elgin residents.

This escalated further and is one of the many interactions residents had with ICE in Elgin. 

According to a local news outlet, “What started as a crash involving a federal agent led to tense confrontations between residents and federal agents.”

Although tensions are high with ICE, there are resources available for people to utilize when in need of assistance.

“We have the immigration department that we’re constantly helping people with, citizenship applications and green card applications,” said the Community Organizer for the Centro de Informacion Amairani Jarvis.

Amairani’s primary role is with the Elgin area Immigration Alliance, where they also help the community.

“We want to educate, empower, and provide resources,” Amairani said.

The group of people comes “together to give resources to our immigrant community,” Amairani said.

At the Centro de Informacion, people, including the ECC body, can find other ways of assistance.

“So any immigration questions that can come to us, any help with any welcoming, or if they want to know how to do a Know Your Rights presentation, or schedule a Know Your Rights presentation, they can call us,” Amairani said.

These presentations cover different actions that a person can take when confronted by ICE.

“They cannot say anything. They should not say anything. They should ask to speak to an attorney. They should not sign off on anything if they get picked up,” Amairani said.

In the case that an individual sees another person being picked up by ICE, “What they should be doing is documenting everything,” Amairani said.

Gail Borden Library also provides help to the public by offering educational incentives, such as ESL courses.

“Our ESL classes, I see people on Tuesdays and Thursday mornings, 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and that is led by a paid instructor. And then we have another paid instructor doing an ESL class, Mondays and Wednesdays, 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.,” said Megan Wheless, Executive Director of the Literacy Connection. 

Those courses would be available without cost not only to people at ECC but also to others outside the institution as well.

Megan Wheless, Executive Director at the nonprofit, Literacy Connection, which is inside Gail Borden Library, on Nov. 26, 2025. (Maria Salgado)“Our mission is to provide free quality literacy services to adult learners in Elgin and surrounding areas,” Wheless said.

Whether it is to learn about Immigration or to find job opportunities, Elgin has many areas that serve its community of people.