Michael Howie

[Michael Howie @bymichaelhowie]

Some news from me: In September, I'll be moving to Munster, IN to cover breaking news, cops and public safety at The Times of Northwest Indiana (@nwi).

Thank you to the team at the Times, and thank you @mujschool for preparing me for this role. I can't wait to get started!

[Michael Howie @bymichaelhowie]

That’ll do it for me from East Chicago. Stay tuned for my story and thanks for following along.

[Michael Howie @bymichaelhowie]

I’m at East Chicago City Hall, where a large protest opposing the recent reported ICE activity in the city and neighboring towns is planned to start soon. I’ll have updates throughout the day and full coverage on https://t.co/HJTSfsv9Ev. Stay tuned. #ice #chicago #protest @nwi

[Michael Howie @bymichaelhowie]

The group just posed for a picture right in front of city hall. There’s still at least 100 people here, but the crowd is starting to disperse.

[Michael Howie @bymichaelhowie]

East Chicago resident Lali Cuevas is passing out flyers and wallet inserts for protesters with information on what to do if ICE shows up at their workplace, home or stops them on the street.

[Michael Howie @bymichaelhowie]

A man just drove by with a flag that said “Trump won” and”Save America.” A few protesters tried to confront him at the stoplight and organizers paused their speeches to tell them to stop and come back.

“No violence!” The crowd chanted.

[Michael Howie @bymichaelhowie]

“If you guys are landlords in East Chicago, if you're a business owner in East Chicago, if you know somebody that's a business owner, you have to start letting them know that they cannot allow ICE within the business or their apartment,” said Kevin Mejia of East Chicago.

[Michael Howie @bymichaelhowie]

Speakers, most who have been members of the community, are telling residents, landlords and business owners in East Chicago not to open their doors for anyone.

[Michael Howie @bymichaelhowie]

Here’s the scene nearly 90 minutes since the protest got underway.

[Michael Howie @bymichaelhowie]

School City of East Chicago councilman Jesse Gomez told me he was “disappointed” in East Chicago’s response to ICE using the police department’s parking lot on Thursday.

“I thought we should have been more proactive,” he said.

[Michael Howie @bymichaelhowie]

Multiple people have taken the megaphone to address the crowd, including Notre Dame senior Sonia Martinez, 21, who said it was the public uproar after this week’s reported ICE activity that “got Mayor Anthony Copeland to make a statement on what was going on.”

[Michael Howie @bymichaelhowie]

The crowd has swelled to well over 100 people.

[Michael Howie @bymichaelhowie]

Sonia Martinez, 43, from Calumet City, is yelling into a megaphone. “Stop terrorizing our communities,” she yelled, and told the crowd to know their rights when it comes to interacting with federal agents.

“This is my community,” she told me.

[Michael Howie @bymichaelhowie]

Here’s the scene right now. I’d estimate around 50 people have gathered, and the crowd is growing. Dozens of passing cars have honked in a show of support as they drive by.

[Michael Howie @bymichaelhowie]

Saturday’s protest is being organized by Purdue Northwest University student Rafael Manzo Jr., an 18-year-old who founded the non-profit “More Action For Students.” He had this protest scheduled in September, before this week’s uptick in ICE activity.

[Michael Howie @bymichaelhowie]

East Chicago’s more lenient approach than Hammond’s triggered some backlash from the community, but there’s far more anger and fear surrounding ICE’s presence itself in their cities.

[Michael Howie @bymichaelhowie]

“Today will be remembered as the day that tested my resolve,” Copeland said in a statement. “The lack of prior notification from ICE was troubling, but I understand that federal agencies are not required to inform local governments of their presence.”

[Michael Howie @bymichaelhowie]

Agents then used the East Chicago Police Department parking lot Thursday afternoon, but city officials there did not ask them to leave. That night, mayor Anthony Copeland said the lack of prior notice from ICE was “troubling.”

[Michael Howie @bymichaelhowie]

Also Thursday, Hammond mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. said he’d booted armed ICE agents from his city’s police department parking lot earlier that morning. He was quick to condemn their presence and said it was “deeply concerning” they’d used the property without permission.

[Michael Howie @bymichaelhowie]

On Thursday, videos circulating around social media appeared to show masked law enforcement officers arresting a man in the foyer of an East Chicago bakery and taking him away in an unmarked car. Here’s our coverage on ICE in NWI to this point:
https://t.co/Ocwp0RvRFR

[Michael Howie @bymichaelhowie]

Stay tuned for my story on Deffenbaugh’s memories of the new pontiff and what it means to him to have the first-ever Augustinian pope now leading the Catholic Church.
#pope #PopeLeoXIV

[Michael Howie @bymichaelhowie]

Meet Terry Deffenbaugh, a former roommate of Pope Leo XIV. A priest of the Augustinian Order and resident of Crown Point, Indiana, Deffenbaugh lived with Robert Francis for several years in Chicago. They graduated from Catholic Theological Union with master of divinity degrees.