Even though she’s willingly thrown herself into a thorny political issue, state Rep. Barbara Hernandez admits “most of the time I feel helpless.”

As a state representative, there’s only so much the Aurora lawmaker can do to help fellow Hispanic residents of her community targeted by federal immigration enforcement agents during the federal government’s Operation Midway Blitz.

“There is pressure on me. People want to see more action. But I can’t intervene if I see someone getting detained. I can’t do anything but ask for their name and a phone number so I can contact their family,” the Democratic lawmaker told me on Monday, a few days after sightings of federal agents in the city triggered panic and protests.

“It’s been hectic. There are a lot of sad stories. People who don’t know where their husband or wife is … someone did not come home or they see a picture on social media of an empty car” that belongs to a family, Hernandez continued.

Still, Hernandez is doing what she can at the moment. That involves fielding a lot more phone calls these days – most in the early morning hours – and trying to get information out to people, adults and children alike, about their rights, including who to call if stopped or detained, or if a family member doesn’t come home one night.

Which is happening more often, Hernandez said of federal immigration enforcement agents’ increasingly aggressive tactics.

No matter what their legal status, “anyone who looks Hispanic or immigrant should be scared,” she insisted, saying two 16-year-old East Aurora High School students were near the school last Thursday when federal agents reportedly stopped the teens and demanded IDs from them.

“I can’t imagine what this is doing to kids,” Hernandez told me.

As chair of the Aurora Hispanic Heritage Advisory Board who works for a local school district, Zayra Chavez sees all too clearly how traumatic this has been for children.

For one thing, school officials indicate attendance is down, with some students leaving early to avoid general dismissal when there’s a better chance federal immigration enforcement agents will be in the area.

So many Hispanic residents “have pretty much stopped living their normal everyday life. Everything is on pause for them,” said Chavez, saying those who are impacted – “your friends, your neighbors, your coworkers” – have stopped buying groceries, taking their children to school, going for medical appointments, walking the dog, even using laundromats.

Bills are also mounting for wage earners too fearful to go to work. And even those who make it to their jobs, Chavez told me, are scared to take breaks or go home because once they “get to a safe place,” it’s hard to leave again.

“Children should not live with this kind of worry,” said Chavez, who spoke emotionally at last week’s immigration policy forum held in Aurora by U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Naperville.

“If their parents are taken away, they are at a higher risk of trauma, PTSD, homelessness, drug use, becoming dropouts … their survival goes down,” Chavez said.

While our state and local political leaders might be limited in what they can do, their advice is important. It includes calling the hotline at 855-435-7993 to report any federal immigration enforcement activity and to submit photos and video that will help the Aurora Rapid Response Team confirm sightings, document harassment and work in partnership with the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights.

Other ways to help: Contact your U.S. representatives and senators who campaigned on promises to fight injustices, Chavez told me. And if you have extra time in your week, give some of it.

For example, the Aurora Rapid Response Team could use more people to go through its on-the-ground training. And help is needed at both Aurora Area Interfaith and Marie Wilkinson food pantries, both of which are stepping up their home delivery programs and drive-up services.

In addition, Marie Wilkinson is working with East Aurora School District 131 to provide boxes of food for elementary and middle school students, as well as what is offered through its high school’s distribution site, said District 131 Superintendent Bob Halverson.

Also, Family Focus in Aurora is looking for experts who can offer free legal assistance for families and individuals through its Immigration Advocates Network because, as Hernandez noted, “there are a lot of cases but not a lot of volunteers.”

It has become extremely difficult to obtain legal status under the existing system, and as Chavez said, too many undocumented immigrants – including a family member who lost $20,000 – have tried for years, even decades, to obtain the needed paperwork, only to be taken advantage of by scammers who know there’s little chance these financial crimes will be reported.

Now fear has replaced frustration.

Even her own mother, who has a visa but has not yet passed the citizenship test, is struggling with high anxiety, said Hernandez who, while in Springfield this week for the General Assembly’s veto session, plans to push for legislation that can “bring peace to families.”

In the meantime, Chavez reports that people are reaching out to even those they don’t know, offering  to do laundry or pick up groceries and medicine. District 131 Superintendent Halverson said he even spoke with a barber who has offered to do at-home haircuts for students and their families.

And recently a new organization called Kalpulli Across Borders, which was founded by Aurora native and national activist Juan Garcia, received permission from the state of Illinois and is awaiting federal approval to operate as a nonprofit raising money to help those who have been deported or detained. (For information, reach out via email at info@kalpulliAcrossBorders.org).

The goal of this Aurora-based group – its website is expected to go live Oct. 19 – is to help those who are impacted pay bills and rent or start over in a country where too often there is no support system in place “to help with basic needs,” said Garcia, who had worked with Aurora Rapid Response Team and Immigrant Liberation Alliance before leaving Aurora in 2018.

Garcia used the words “infuriating” and “scary” to describe the ongoing federal immigration blitz.

“I can only imagine what a deportation feels like,” he added. ” … the stress and trauma that comes with being pulled over by ICE and not seeing your family again.”

dcrosby@tribpub.com