AFL-CIO to hold 'Immigration Response Training' for State of Illinois employees in Burr Ridge on Jan. 27
The Illinois AFL-CIO and the Chicago Federation of Labor are promoting an upcoming “Immigration Response Training" for state employees, according to an email from the union obtained by DuPage Policy Journal.
In the message sent to state employees represented by the Illinois AFL-CIO, union leaders describe what they call “an influx of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) terrorizing our workplaces, our schools, and our communities,” and encourages members to attend the training either in person or virtually.
The union said the training will provide “clear, practical information about workers’ rights, immigration rights and guidance on how to respond if ICE appears at a workplace.”
The session is scheduled for Jan. 27 from 2–4 p.m. at the Chicago Laborers’ District Council offices at 999 McClintock Drive in Burr Ridge, according to the email.
The note closes with a call for attendance signed “In solidarity” by Illinois AFL-CIO leaders Tim Drea and Pat Devaney.
“Standing together across differences—of race, background, or immigration status—strengthens our labor movement,” the email reads. “We look forward to seeing you at this important training.”
The largest affiliate of the Illinois AFL-CIO, AFSCME Council 31, represents more than 90,000 public-sector employees statewide.
The training comes as federal immigration enforcement activity has increased in the Chicago area under Operation Midway Blitz, which has resulted in the detention of more than 5,000 illegal immigrants. The Department of Homeland Security has said most of those targeted had criminal convictions.
Nationally and at the state level, the AFL-CIO has expanded immigration-related “response” trainings and raid-preparedness materials for union members. Critics say those efforts take on added significance because of organized labor’s extensive political role in Illinois, particularly within the public sector.
Organized labor is a force in Illinois politics, routinely backing candidates through formal endorsement programs and coordinated voter outreach. Public-sector unions also represent tens of thousands of state employees and regularly engage with the governor’s office and Democratic legislative leadership on policy and labor issues.
In the 2024 cycle, Illinois political campaigns raised about $600 million in itemized individual contributions, and a Capitol News Illinois analysis found $67.4 million flowed from 15 union-affiliated groups through donations and transfers—helping make organized labor one of the largest funding blocs in state politics.
Last fall, Gov. JB Pritzker signed an executive order creating the Illinois Accountability Commission, tasked with documenting alleged civil rights violations by federal immigration agents. At the time, Pritzker urged residents to record encounters with ICE and Customs and Border Protection officers.
“We have a duty to ensure that the truth is preserved,” Pritzker said at the time.
Pritzker’s comments have drawn criticism from federal officials, who say his rhetoric has intensified tensions during already volatile enforcement operations. He has repeatedly compared ICE enforcement to authoritarian regimes, including a remark to CBS News likening document checks to “the early days of Nazi Germany.”
Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino said Pritzker and allied politicians have contributed to what he described as an “elevated threat environment,” citing references to agents as “jack-booted thugs.”
Federal officials have reported threats and violent incidents targeting ICE personnel, including confrontations at the Broadview ICE Processing Center, where protesters chanted “kill ICE” and “shoot ICE,” attempted to breach the facility, and carried weapons and suspected explosive devices, according to authorities.
Scrutiny of the governor’s rhetoric has intensified amid a broader wave of political violence nationwide, including two assassination attempts on former President Donald Trump, the assassination of Illinois native and conservative activist Charlie Kirk, the killing of two Israeli embassy staff, and the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
The period has also seen multiple attacks on ICE facilities, including shootings and ambushes, some resulting in injuries and deaths.
Andrew R. Arthur of the Center for Immigration Studies warned that the convergence of aggressive political rhetoric, organized activism and active enforcement operations could have deadly consequences.
“The governor is playing a dangerous game in a heightened environment, risking serious injury or death to protestors, troopers, and federal officers,” Arthur wrote.