Meanwhile, fear is now turning to anger after a former Little Village Chamber of Commerce staff member appeared to have been caught on body-worn camera video thanking federal agents who were arresting neighborhood residents in immigration action.
Words of encouragement and praise came from Olman Chaheine, a staffer identified by the Little Village Chamber of Commerce, the same day federal immigration agents detained several people and appeared to tear-gas protesters and residents in the Southwest Side neighborhood.
"God bless you, gentlemen, out there. Stay strong. Keep working," Chaheine can be heard saying in a video.
The video was recorded Oct. 23 and was taken from an agent's body-worn camera, ordered released by Judge Sara Ellis in her explanation of the preliminary injunction she issued in November, restricting use of force against protesters and journalists by federal agents during Operation Midway Blitz.
The footage shows Chaheine, who was the chamber's director of outreach and community development, chatting with Border Patrol agents near the popular Little Village Plaza, which was the scene of that day's confrontation.
"Without saying much, because my colleagues are here with me, my regards for all of you guys and the work that you guys are doing," Chaheine can be heard saying in a video.
SEE ALSO | Black Friday brings boost to Little Village businesses impacted by immigration operations
Jennifer Aguilar, Executive Director of the Little Village Chamber of Commerce, shared the following statement:
"The Little Village Chamber of Commerce strongly condemns the statements made by a former staff member captured in a recent video involving federal immigration enforcement activity in our community. These comments were made independently, do not reflect our mission, and are completely inconsistent with the Chamber's long-standing commitment to support, protect, and uplift immigrant families and local businesses.
"The individual involved is no longer employed by the organization, effective immediately. As this is a personnel matter, we are unable to comment further.
"We remain committed to advocating for dignity, safety, and economic opportunity for all residents and business owners in Little Village. We will continue working closely with our partners, elected officials, and community organizations to ensure our neighborhood remains a safe and welcoming place."
Some community activists say the interaction is troubling, considering the fear ICE activities caused.
"Has this gentleman been working with ICE prior coming to the chamber?" Little Village Community Council President Baltazar Enriquez said. "Do we have a spy in our neighborhood. We don't know, but these are things that we're asking questions now the chamber has the answer to the community."
The decades-old Little Village Chamber of Commerce is a community staple supporting local businesses in the community, which is predominately a neighborhood of Mexican-Americans and Latino immigrants.
Even with Chaheine's departure, concerns remain.
"Those comments are detrimental for the unity accountability that we talk about," 25th Ward Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez said. "I'm glad they're taking steps and there's a lot of work to be done in terms of accountability. I'm bringing our community together to protect and our rights."
Some neighborhood community groups say Little Village is still struggling to recover from the immigration action and are now threatening to boycott the chamber.