Prospect Heights Rally

Community leaders, Prospect Heights residents, and rapid responders at Prospect Heights City Hall demanding a bilingual meeting for the directly impacted.

On December 22, 2025, in the wake of Operation Midway Blitz, a U.S. citizen was illegally abducted near Palwaukee Plaza where HANA Northwest Center is located. Videos of the incident showed four masked men pulling a woman from her vehicle while Prospect Heights Police Department officers stood by idly.  

In response, HANA Center joined leaders from Hands Off Wheeling and Wheeling Rapid Response Team to demand that Prospect Heights City Council engage in dialogue with community members to hear their concerns about increased immigration enforcement. During public comment, speakers, including HANA Suburban Youth Council members, emphasized the city’s Policy Statement on Immigration Enforcement, which committed the city to following the TRUST Act passed unanimously two weeks before the December incident.  

However, city leadership refused to meet with community leaders without justification. On April 9, 2026, HANA hosted a bilingual, multiracial community meeting on immigration enforcement at its Prospect Heights office. After two hours of discussion over a shared meal, community members identified a demand: that the city social worker host a bilingual meeting at a location chosen by Piper Lane residents. Community members also expressed interest in holding more meetings at the HANA Center.  

On April 13, HANA rallied at Prospect Heights City Hall alongside 25 community leaders, Prospect Heights residents, and rapid responders to raise the demand for dignified and accessible dialogue. The demonstration was a powerful reminder that Prospect Heights is a diverse community, where 30% of residents identify as Latine and 10% identify as Asian. Despite city leadership’s lack of response, the community is stepping up to protect itself and build a multiracial, working-class democracy that works for all people. HANA Center, Hands Off Wheeling, and Wheeling Rapid Response Team will continue to advocate for community dialogue that centers those directly impacted.