The Illinois Accountability Commission begins patching up Operation Midway Blitz wounds, though preventative mechanisms remain deficient Operation Midway Blitz exposed deep flaws in federal oversight — and made Illinois the first state to investigate federal agents. This audio feature examines Operation Midway Blitz through the voices of an affected Evanston resident, an asylum and immigration law expert, and Governor Pritzker’s Illinois Accountability Commission (IAC). The accountability-foc...
Jul 2
14 min
English (Creole to come) There is a fear many parents hold on to but rarely say out loud: the possibility of being separated from their child. For one Haitian mother facing deportation, that fear is now a reality. "M" fled gang violence in Port-au-Prince while eight months pregnant, arriving in the U.S. by boat with only a cell phone and birth certificate. After her asylum case was denied, hindered by language barriers and lack of legal representation, she now wears an ankle monitor—a constan...
Jun 22
14 min
In April of 2003, rural McHenry County began a politically and financially volatile relationship with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) by contracting to house immigration detainees at the McHenry County Jail in Woodstock, Illinois. The relationship quickly exposed local residents to the horrors of immigrant detention, but knowledge of the facility was a well-kept secret. In 2020, that relationship was thrust into the public spotlight due to the COVID pandemic and the raciall...
Jun 18
22 min
There is a fear many parents hold on to but rarely say out loud: the possibility of being separated from their child. For one Haitian mother facing deportation, that fear is now a reality. "M" fled gang violence in Port-au-Prince while eight months pregnant, arriving in the U.S. by boat with only a cell phone and birth certificate. After her asylum case was denied, hindered by language barriers and lack of legal representation, she now wears an ankle monitor—a constant reminder that she could...
Apr 10
13 min
After fleeing Uganda to escape a life sentence for his identity, Adam arrived in Chicago with nothing but his background in social work. Today, he serves as a vital bridge for LGBTQ+ migrants navigating the same trauma, bureaucracy, and fear he once faced. This story explores how one person’s search for peace became a 24/7 mission to ensure no one else has to navigate the resettlement process alone. In this audio story, we explore the intersection of global migration and LGBTQ+ rights through...
Mar 26
7 min
When buses of immigrants from Texas and Florida arrived in Chicago in the summer of 2022, the Haitian Congress to Fortify Haiti (a local organization led by members of the Haitian diaspora) stepped in to help. The group has supported nearly 350 Haitian families who fled gang violence in Haiti as they began rebuilding their lives in the United States. As ICE operations have increased across the country under the Trump administration, the organization has continued to help families naviga...
Mar 6
11 min
In this episode, Emma Yaaka, a Ugandan refugee and community advocate, shares how misinformation spreads through refugee and migrant networks and the real consequences it can have. From WhatsApp groups to TikTok and YouTube, fear can travel fast, shaping decisions about health, safety, and even relocation. Emma works with his community to pause, verify, and navigate information in an environment where trust is fragile, and stakes are high. Experts Dr. Zach McDowell of UIC and Dr. Michael Spik...
Feb 19
12 min
This episode follows Emma Yaaka, a Ugandan refugee who arrived in the U.S. in 2017 and built a life centered on advocacy and community care. He shares his journey fleeing violence as a queer man, surviving displacement in Kenya, and starting over in the U.S. with almost nothing. Emma arrived in the States during turbulent times, as protections for immigrants were beginning to erode and Chicago’s migrant communities faced heightened ICE activity under Trump’s second term. Through his work with...
Feb 10
10 min
After over a decade behind bars, Maria Garza returned to a world with little support and even less stability. Facing housing insecurity and emotional strain, she saw firsthand the failures of a system that promised rehabilitation but delivered barriers. Determined to break the cycle, she co-founded Challenge II Change, a reentry organization that centers stable housing and mental health as the foundation for real second chances. Unlock the tools you need to take action! Check out our Illinois...
Jul 8, 2025
11 min
When a rash decision changed the course of his life, Harry Peña spent decades behind bars. But prison didn't break him — it revealed his purpose. Determined to turn his painful past into a force for good, Harry founded the Life Impacters Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to disrupting the incarceration and recidivism cycle that traps so many formerly incarcerated people. Support the show
Jul 3, 2025
7 min
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