ECC students, Elgin community members, and Gail Borden District Libraries have become proactive, following a surge in Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE), intense immigration debates, and recent policy changes.

“I don’t want them here. We’re gonna go the wrong way if we keep taking in garbage” said U.S. current president Donald Trump referring to the Somali immigrants in a recent Fox32 News live press conference from the oval office. 

Prior to President Trump’s statements made on immigration, on November 17, 2025, the Gail Borden Public Library Districts Kane and Cook County , Illinois, held a  “special Library board meeting” discussing “Action: Resolution 2025-11-A: Prohibiting the use of  Library property for Federal Civil Immigration Enforcement Activities.

Chief Executive officer Carol Medal read the Resolution No. 2025–11-A (which can also be found on the library website) in efforts to replace Resolution 2025-10-Adopted on October 23, 2025. (https://www.gailborden.info/images/articles/2025/Message%20to%20Community/Approved%20GBPL%20Resolution_Immigration_Enforcement.pdf )

 “The purpose of this resolution is to ensure that Library-owned properties, facilities, and resources are not used to support or facilitate federal civil immigration enforcement activities, except as required by law, and to promote public trust and safety within the Library and the community it serves.”

 All board members voted unanimously to enact Resolution 2025-11-A:Prohibiting  the use of library property for federal civil immigration enforcement activities. Shortly after the unanimous decision board members voted to conclude the meeting and said their goodbyes. 

“People are being kidnapped from schools, jobs, and pulled off the streets. It’s about time the city and local libraries get involved” said Gisselle Garcia, an avid ICE protestor and active member of the Elgin community, she said “Look what just happened here this past weekend.”

According to an article published by the Daily Herald, On December 7, 2025 ICE detained an hispanic male, who was hiding on the balcony of an apartment building near the 1600 block of West Highland in Elgin Illinois.

ECC’s President of SWANS club, Fell Blackwood, was on scene as the arrest was occurring.

“When I got there I noticed they closed off the intersection and were acting as if they were traffic cops.” they/them said “I didn’t see any physicality until later”

They/them continued.

 “I heard things get a bit louder when they were banging on the door to get to the man they were trying to kidnap. There was suddenly a lot of shouting and whistles, I then heard a loud bang behind me and then smoke rising into the air on one of the lawns. After a few minutes I heard a sizzling and I noticed a gas canister being thrown into the street. I wasn’t super close but it hit me very fast.”

Blackwood states that ICE had already taken the man into custody as they/them and other members of the community retreated to a gathering area for warm drinks and discussion of what they had witnessed.

“The emotions that were going on at the time was a lot of nervousness.The emotions of the crowd was mostly anger, these men who had not provided a warrant had chased someone down and  cornered him on a balcony in the middle of winter. Everyone was very very angry about this.”

Dian Ortega, a community member who spoke at the Gail Borden meeting, said “It’s really important to understand the TRUST Act. (legislation that limits cooperation between local law enforcement and Immigration authorities ) it falls upon the community to do the documentation. It falls onto the community volunteer groups to do what the police can not.”

December 8, is not the first time ICE has been reported to be in Elgin, in fact ICE was reported and verified to be on ECC’s campus back in September this year, leading to the arrest of an ECC student outside of building K. According to a CBS news article published September 18,  2 U.S. citizens were amongst the 7 individuals who were arrested during an ICE raid here in Elgin also.  

“The Gail Borden Library Districts made great steps forward but it can’t stop there the entire city and surrounding communities need to stand up. Schools and hospitals everywhere need to be off limits.” said Gisselle Garcia.