Anabel Mendoza on Chicagoans Fighting Back Against Trump

Summary

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Podcast Summary: The MeidasTouch Podcast – Anabel Mendoza on Chicagoans Fighting Back Against Trump

Date: November 29, 2025
Host: MeidasTouch Network
Guests: Annabel Mendoza (activist and congressional candidate, IL-7)
Main Theme: Grassroots resistance in Chicago against Trump administration immigration raids, the lived realities endured by immigrants, and the emerging solidarity shaping the fight for democracy.

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Episode Overview

This episode centers on the wave of ICE raids and deportation tactics executed in Chicago—portrayed as an escalation of terror by the Trump administration—and the ways Chicagoans, especially in immigrant communities, have organized to resist and protect one another. The brothers welcome community leader and congressional candidate Annabel Mendoza, who shares her perspective on these events, the impact on communities, and her motivations for running for Congress to represent IL-7.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Escalating ICE Raids and State Violence in Chicago

• Discussion of recent violent ICE activity:
  From cars running into people to daycare raids, numerous chilling incidents are described.
• Militarization:
  The hosts describe ICE and Border Patrol as “militarized,” behaving like “terroristic cowboys” wielding military-grade weapons in public areas.
  • “We’ve seen ICE terrorize daycare workers and daycare centers... they show up with their weapons, they point them at kids, they rip people apart.” (Host, 03:29)

Notable Quote:

“You have no idea that this is a federal agent or random person on the street and they’re pulling out weapons. They are quite literally dragging people from their cars with impunity—violently. And we’ve seen this impact not just immigrant communities, but U.S. citizens.”
— Annabel Mendoza (09:29)

2. Personal Impact and Community Trauma

• Mendoza, a lifelong Chicagoan and daughter/granddaughter of immigrants, details the emotional and social toll:
  • ICE actions are “taking an impact on all of us,” diverting billions from local needs.
  • Outrage over “zero oversight” detention facilities, like Broadview, which she dubs “camps” (07:03).
  • The raids impact “restaurant workers, daycare workers”—neighbors and local leaders.

Memorable Moment:

• Account of daycare raid:

  “This week I’m having an event where I’m going to be speaking with some of the parents from that same daycare where one of their students’ teachers was ripped from the classroom in front of toddlers. This is exactly what’s happening. And it is not only instilling fear, but I think really what is important to focus on is the solidarity that is being built out of this moment.”
  — Annabel Mendoza (12:11)

3. Grassroots Solidarity and Resistance

• Despite the administration’s attempts, communities have responded with unity, not fear.
  • Reports of people recording, sharing, organizing against raids.
  • Faith leaders and local citizens stand outside detention centers in protest—“exercising their First Amendment right.”
• Mendoza praises growing “solidarity between neighbors looking after one another,” counteracting the administration’s goal to “pit working people against each other” (07:03, 12:11).

Notable Quote:

“As we take action, as we stand in solidarity with immigrant communities, it’s because immigrants are inherently part of the city of Chicago and our country.”
— Annabel Mendoza (13:39)

4. Failures of Democratic Response and Policy Implications

• The host criticizes Democrats’ retreat from openly supporting immigrant communities due to propaganda backlash, arguing this cedes narrative ground to Republicans (11:02).
• Mendoza voices frustration with her party “ceding the issue of immigration completely to Republicans,” emphasizing the economic fallout on local businesses and the urgency of fighting for a better, inclusive approach (12:11).

Memorable Moment:

“Immigration is not just an immigrant issue. It is all of our issues. We are seeing the fact that these raids are impacting our local economy immensely, not only with workers being detained, but small businesses are feeling the impact of that.”
— Annabel Mendoza (12:51)

5. Annabel Mendoza’s Congressional Campaign

• At 28, Mendoza is the youngest candidate in the open IL-7 race (Broadview area).
• Her experience:
  • Years on the front lines of the immigrant rights movement.
  • Emphasizes “urgency of this moment.”
  • Campaign centers on redirecting taxpayer money from detention/enforcement to education, healthcare, and communities.
• Campaign Info: anabelleforcongress.com
• Announcement of upcoming town hall in Oak Park on immigration and organizing (14:14).

Notable Quote:

“I am the youngest candidate in this race, but it means that I have the most energy, the most urgency of this moment... I have been fighting on the front lines to protect our communities against the violent overreach... I would encourage people who also understand the urgency of this moment, who want to elect leaders who are ready to meet this moment and fight for working families, to join my campaign.”
— Annabel Mendoza (14:14)

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Segment Timestamps

• 02:04 Scenarios of terror—Host introduces ICE’s violent acts in Chicago
• 03:29 Daycare raid recounted by witnesses and reporter audio
• 04:49 Conditions at Broadview Detention, ICE snipers targeting peaceful protesters
• 07:03 Annabel Mendoza joins; background as an immigrant rights activist and personal stake
• 09:29 Mendoza describes abductions and violence (agents “with masks on... pulling out weapons”)
• 11:02 Host’s critique of Democratic messaging on immigration
• 12:11 Mendoza on community solidarity, campaign motivation, and the broader impact of raids
• 14:14 Mendoza details her congressional campaign and upcoming town hall

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Notable Quotes

• “I have worked for years in the immigrant rights movement, specifically with immigrant youth. I am also the daughter and granddaughter of immigrants... What we are seeing right now is absolutely atrocious. We are seeing a total overreach by the Trump administration.”
  — Annabel Mendoza (07:03)

• “This is a moment where we need to elect leaders who are going to fight. That’s why I’m running because I have been extremely disheartened by the Democratic establishment that to me has ceded the issue of immigration completely to Republicans...”
  — Annabel Mendoza (12:11)

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Closing

Annabel Mendoza urges listeners to stay engaged, seek out more information about her campaign, and “stand in solidarity with immigrant communities.” The episode closes with a call to support democracy by participating in campaigns, town halls, and local organizing.

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For More:

• Campaign site: anabelleforcongress.com
• Next town hall: Oak Park, date TBA (see campaign site for details)

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Tone & Style:
The episode is urgent, passionate, and unflinching in describing state violence, but counterbalanced by hope, community solidarity, and direct calls to action for listeners.

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Transcript

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[Annabel Mendoza]

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[Host/Interviewer]

You know, while Donald Trump continues to try to unleash hell and terrorize people across the country. And we've seen that, of course, on display in Chicago, for example. To see the people uniting peacefully to push back, I don't think it's something this Trump regime ever expected. I mean, we've seen the horrible issues, the horrible videos like this one right here of ice, like, just literally barreling into people on the street in their cars. Then, like the militarized ice and border patrol agents coming out with their military grade weapons and pointing it at People like, you've seen these images here. Like, play this.

[Reporter]

Yeah.

[Observer/Commentator]

Hit and run. Hit and run. That's a hit and run. Hit and run. Hit and run. That's a hit and run. Hit and run. Hit and run. Watch out with that weapon. That weapon. Yo, watch out. What's wrong with you? You hit it. You hit her. Yo, yo, what's wrong? You hit her. You guys hit her. You guys hit her. What's wrong with y'?

[Host/Interviewer]

All?

[Observer/Commentator]

Y' all bust a whole U turn in the middle of the street. Yeah.

[Host/Interviewer]

And we've seen. That was in Chicago, by the way. Also in Chicago, for example, we've seen ICE terrorize daycare workers and daycare centers while the. While the children are in there, they show up with their weapons, they point them at kids, they rip people apart. Here, just play this clip.

[Parent/Witness]

And then I saw the teacher being dragged out and into the car. So immediately, obviously, I knew it must have been ice.

[Reporter]

This lady, one of the many parents trying to drop off a child this morning at the Raito de Sal daycare along Addison met instead with the sound of screaming as a young teacher was dragged out of the building by armed camel clad and masked men.

[Parent/Witness]

They went into the daycare with our kids there. Like, it's just. I am at a loss for words for the. Again, audacity.

[Reporter]

As those watching realized what was happening, the phones flipped on.

[Bronx]

I was just thinking, like, what to do. Like, I know. First thing that I've heard, everyone's told me to record and report it. I've told a lot of my friends to share it on social media, on the videos, like, just to let everyone know as soon as possible.

[Reporter]

Some arguing with agents as they got back into their Texas registered vehicle and drove off.

[Host/Interviewer]

It's just absolute terror. Like, there's.

[Ron Filipkowski]

Why are you at a daycare at.

[Host/Interviewer]

7 in the morning?

[Ron Filipkowski]

This isn't right.

[Host/Interviewer]

This isn't American.

[Ron Filipkowski]

This isn't who we are.

[Host/Interviewer]

I'm sure you've seen the images at the Broadview Detention center, which is basically a concentration camp right in the Chicago area area where no one really knows what's even happening in there. And the horrific conditions that when people are snatched, they're thrown there. There have been peaceful protests out there. And I'm sure you've seen the images of the ICE and Border Patrol agents on the roof, sniper style, shooting down at the peaceful protesters, the reporters, the priests who are there with non lethal rounds. But very, very, very damaging. Here, play this clip.

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[Host/Interviewer]

I can show you, I mean, literally tens of thousands of Videos and images of what they were doing in Chicago. And we're seeing that rolled out, of course, across the country, whether it's in Charlotte or Portland or Los Angeles, you name it. We've seen this. These tactics used, and it's been horrific, but the people are uniting, and that's what I want to spend this video talking about. And someone who's been involved deeply in the immigrant rights movement is someone by the name of Annabel Mendoza, who lives in the area where that Broadview detention center is, and she's running for Congress for the 7th Congressional District. There's an open seat there, Danny Davis, the Congress members leaving after this year. And there's. There's a seat now to be filled. I want to bring in Annabel Mendoza, who is running for that congressional seat in the seventh, which is Broadview detention facility area, and where a lot of. We're seeing a lot of these videos. You're also 28 years old. You're the youngest candidate here. I want to talk about the race that you're running and why. But let's start talking about, though, your background, of course, in the immigrant rights movement and what you've seen, because, of course, we've seen the horrors evidenced by those videos, but we've also seen solidarity in fighting back. Let's start off with what you've observed first, then the fight back, then your fight for Congress. So what have you observed in Chicago and the tactics being used by this Trump regime?

[Annabel Mendoza]

Yeah, thank you so much for having me. I have worked for years in the immigrant rights movement, specifically with immigrant youth. I am also the daughter and granddaughter of immigrants who are what we are seeing unfold in the streets of Chicago, a city that I love dearly, is extremely personal to me, as I know it is for so many of my neighbors. Immigrants make not only Chicago strong, but our entire country. And what we are seeing right now is absolutely atrocious. We are seeing a total overreach by the Trump administration, blatantly unlawful actions by ICE agents and CBP agents who are arresting people without warrants and without due process. And we are seeing the terror. I mean, you showed the videos. These are individuals. These are our neighbors. These are restaurant workers, daycare workers, who they are, with impunity, going after, detaining, and throwing into detention camps like Broadview, where the windows are boarded up, where there is zero oversight. And it is enraging for me to see these videos because I know that it is our taxpayer dollars, billions of our taxpayer dollars that are going to fund ICE and cbp. And they're not going to the things that our working communities, funding healthcare, making our schools stronger. This is taking an impact on all of us. But as you said, Chicago is united. And through all of this terror, I have seen deepened solidarity between neighbors looking after one another.

[Host/Interviewer]

Let's talk about that, because that's what's given me hope. And I think that's what has caught this Trump regime off guard. I think that they just assumed they would show up like terroristic cowboys. You know, Greg Bevino, he rolls in little man, but he rolls in with the crew. And, and they start like, you know, the way I described it, and it's not the right words, but, like, when you'd go through, like, one of those, like, horror amusement parks and the people would, like, come out of the corners and scare you, except it was real life.

[Annabel Mendoza]

Yes.

[Host/Interviewer]

These people were touching you and they would harm you and they would pull weapons out and they would inflict real pain.

[Annabel Mendoza]

And.

[Host/Interviewer]

And then I think they thought that that would end it and people would what, stay in their homes and never go out and turn on their neighbors and point each other out? And then what? Trump would be declared the king of whatever with the stupid Trump building there or whatever? Like, I think that's what they envision, but that's not what's happened. Tell us what's happened.

[Annabel Mendoza]

Absolutely. I mean, you're. You're exactly right. This is what we are seeing right now. There's a reason we call it kidnappings and abductions, because these are agents coming in with masks on. You have no idea who they are. You have no idea that this is a federal agent or random person on the street and they're pulling out weapons. They are quite literally dragging people from their cars with impunity violently. And we've seen this impact not just immigrant communities, but U.S. citizens. There are stories of these agents going after veterans, going after long standing leaders of the community, faith leaders. I was just at Broadview standing side by side with faith leaders, and I saw the aggression that was happening towards these leaders in our community who, again, are exercising their Constitution amendment right to peacefully protest and to speak out against what we are seeing. This is un American, and it's not what we stand for. This is the reason why I'm running for Congress, because there are not enough leaders right now who are sticking up for working families in the face of not only this terror, but I want to be very clear that what is happening is not in service of anybody other than the Trump administration and their blatant fascism. We need to make sure that we elect leaders into Congress who are going to fight for working families every hour of every day and make sure that we are focused, focused on not only making our health care system stronger, making our schools stronger and safer, and our neighborhoods, bringing investment back into our neighborhoods. That is not what's happening. Every dime that is spent on immigration enforcement is money that doesn't make it to our communities.

[Host/Interviewer]

You know, I'll tell you what really kind of pissed me off in 2024, 2020 in general, I think that with this massive propaganda wave that was being pushed by Trump and maga, I think Democrats p back from saying we support immigrants and America is a country of immigrants, and that's what made our country successful and thrive and beautiful. I think you can still have an appropriate conversation about the border and what that means, but also recognizing which we all, I think do that the bad guys and gals should go. But there is a role for immigrants and a big role for immigrants being productive and helping out this country. And we all, one way or another, another in America, most of us come from immigrants. And I just think that when I see the sign back there saying Chicago loves immigrants, I think that's an important message to have out there and one to really lean into, which we do on this network and not shy away from. That doesn't mean we're not going to have conversations about borders or other things at all. We will. But we can say this was what makes our country beautiful.

[Annabel Mendoza]

Absolutely. And I think you said it yourself just now that they are going after people in our communities who we know, who we love, who also take care of our city. This week I'm having an event where I'm going to be speaking with some of the parents from that same daycare where one of their students, teachers, was ripped from the classroom in front of toddlers. This is exactly what's happening. And it is not only instilling fear, but I think really what is important to focus on is the solidarity that is being built out of this moment. The Trump administration wants to pit working people against each other. They want working families to fight over scraps while people can't pay their rent, can't pay for grocer. Their healthcare premiums are gonna go up in the next year exponentially. And when we're fighting against each other, we're not looking at the fact that they continue to get richer off of our expense. And so this is a moment where we need to elect leaders who are going to fight. That's why I'm running because I have been extremely disheartened by the Democratic establishment that to me has ceded the issue of immigration completely to Republicans, has allowed them to define the issue. And the reality is immigration is not just an immigrant issue. It is all of our issues. We are seeing the fact that these raids are impacting our local economy immensely, not only with workers being detained, but small businesses are feeling the impact of that. Less customers coming into their small businesses because they're afraid to go out of their homes. That also means less workers. So this has a ripple effect on all of us. And that is the thing that I really want people to understand in this moment is that as we take action, as we stand in solidarity with immigrant communities, it's because immigrants are inherently part of the city of Chicago and our country.

[Host/Interviewer]

Before we go, I have one, two part question number one, where could people find out more information about the campaign? But also it is a crowded primary. And so what separates you from the other candidates? And what do you want our viewers to know about that?

[Annabel Mendoza]

Yeah, I want viewers to know that, yes, I am the youngest candidate in this race, but it means that I have the most energy, the most urgency of this moment. And I have worked in the immigrant rights movement for years on the front lines battling this exact administration. What we are seeing, what has unfolded in the streets of Chicago, but also in cities like la, in Charlotte. This has been going on for years. It may not have been live streamed on our phones, but I, along with other leaders in the immigrant rights movement, have been fighting on the front lines to protect our communities against the violent overreach and also to make sure that our taxpayer dollars don't go to this, but actually go into the resources that our communities need to thrive. So I would encourage people who also understand the urgenc of this moment who want to elect leaders who are ready to meet this moment and fight for working families to join my campaign. They can learn [e-mail] they can also attend my upcoming town hall that will be happening in Oak park and it's going to dig into this very issue. We're going to hear from other immigrant rights leaders. We're going to hear from organizers. We're going to hear from folks in the communities that have been impacted the most. And we're also going to hear from parents at that daycare center who have also seen these agents firsthand go after people in their own communities.

[Host/Interviewer]

These Ana Bel Mendoza, thanks for joining us.

[Annabel Mendoza]

Thank you so much for having me.

[Host/Interviewer]

Everybody hit subscribe. Let's get to 6 million subscribers.

[Ron Filipkowski]

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