- I love parades, especially this one, Mexican independence.

You know they said that it's gonna be dangerous because of ICE.

People are scared now.

- Honestly, even though I guess I'm okay to be out here, I'm scared.

- Yeah, but I have to, I have to go, 'cause I feel like being with my people, with them to know them, they got rights.

People are scared to get out of the house.

I see people who said, "Today I'm not working because the ICE is in that street, or in that one, or in that one."

So we're just gonna pass out these fliers about know your rights and these cards.

- They're are a little crooked because they're homemade, but we got there, we got there.

- I told you that I'm gonna be like this so everybody can see my earrings.

(laughs) (light music) (person speaking in Spanish) (dog barks) (folk music) - This time last year, it was packed.

But today we can walk, still can walk, and make me feel that a lot of people are scared.

(helicopter chopping) (person yelling) (Isabel speaking in Spanish) - I'm gonna start that way.

- Okay.

- [Speaker] 18, but I don't know.

(Isabel speaking in Spanish) (Isabel continues speaking in Spanish) (singing in Spanish) (lively music) (Isabel speaking in Spanish) (vendor speaking in Spanish) (Isabel speaking in Spanish) - Thank you.

(Isabel speaking in Spanish) Know your rights.

- Thank you.

(alarm sounds) - Know your rights.

- All right, thank you.

- [Isabel] We can pass it out, this is in Spanish.

- Will do, thank you.

- [Isabel] I see a lot of people, and I talk to them, and I heard, "I'm here because I support my neighbor, I support my friend."

(parade goers speaking in Spanish) (Isabel speaking in Spanish) - And they're in there to support our people, to support people who pay taxes, who support people that comes here for a better life.

Can I have one?

Thank you.

(horns honking) And it feels so good.

Now that I'm a citizen, I feel so proud that citizens are helping our people too.

(horns honking) I came here 2003.

I met this guy that was in here in Chicago and we got married.

I brought my daughter with me.

My youngest daughter is lesbian.

And since we were in Mexico, I know Mexico is, they don't see this.

That's part of why I'm here, because of her.

I want her to learn and find herself free.

(Isabel speaking in Spanish) (parade goers cheering) - I want a bridge from Chicago to Mexico.

(laughs) But I prefer to stay here.

I'm not going anywhere.

(lively music) (cars whooshing) Okay, yes, we're gonna start with a civic test.

- Okay.

- So can you tell me what's the capital of your state?

- Springfield.

- And what about the governor of your state?

- JB Pritzker.

- [Isabel] Okay, how many justices are in the Supreme Court?

- Nine.

- Good.

Two years ago, I went to the Instituto to prepare for my citizenship.

And who was the first president?

- George Washington.

- Good.

When I finished my citizenship, the teacher told me, "You wanna become a tutor?"

Now I'm gonna swear you in.

I want to give something back to the Instituto, so that's why I stay.

Okay, after that we're gonna go to your application.

When the officer asks questions, they ask you only the things that are in the application.

We have to practice with them what they're gonna answer.

Have you ever registered to vote?

- No.

- Have you ever been arrested, cited, detained, or confined by any law enforcement officer or military official?

- Yes.

- Okay.

About that, can you tell me why?

- Over speed limit.

- [Isabel] Did you get a ticket for that?

- Yes.

- Okay.

Did you pay your ticket?

- I did.

(Isabel speaking in Spanish) - We are there.

You're gonna make it.

I know for sure you're gonna make it.

For some of the students are hard because they don't know the language.

So if you don't know English, you have to practice.

How are you, Anna?

- Fine.

- How do you feel?

(Anna speaking in Spanish) (Isabel speaking in Spanish) - I'm fine, I feel fine.

I feel nervous, I feel scared, I feel.

(Anna speaking in Spanish) - Nervous, nervous.

(Anna speaking in Spanish) - Everybody's nervous when they go to that interview.

When I was in there they told me, "Oh, you're gonna make it because you know English very good."

And I said, "But my nervous, when I'm nervous, I even forgot my name."

So that made me feel the confidence to tell them, "If I did it, you can do it too."

Practice.

(Anna speaking in Spanish) (Isabel speaking in Spanish) Okay.

- Mm-hm.

Have you ever came to be a US citizen?

- No.

- Why not?

(Anna speaking in Spanish) (Isabel speaking in Spanish) - Because I'm not a citizen.

I'm not a citizen.

- Because I'm not.

No, because I'm not a citizen.

- Ah, si.

Okay.

Being a citizen is very important if you wanna be with your full responsibilities and your full rights in this country.

You're not going anywhere, you're staying here, and why not be in full American citizen?

(instructor speaking in Spanish) - [Isabel] My student Maria, she passed.

I feel so happy for her.

(Maria speaking in Spanish) (Maria continues speaking in Spanish) - [Isabel] She feel proud of herself too because she did it at the first time.

(Maria speaking in Spanish) (Maria continues speaking in Spanish) (student speaking in Spanish) (Maria speaking in Spanish) (Isabel speaking in Spanish) - Is it close to the interview?

Are we doing good job or not?

- No, si, si, si.

- What do we need to do more?

(Maria speaking in Spanish) - Practice English.

(speaking in Spanish) (class clapping) (Maria speaking in Spanish) (gentle music) - [Isabel] What is gonna happen with Maria now?

- I don't know, maybe I going to finish my GED, and then I going to start to get classes for speak better.

And then I was thinking and take classes for nursing.

(Isabel gasping) (Isabel speaking in Spanish) - You'd like to be a nurse?

I don't like blood.

(laughs) I enjoy it.

I really like to help people.

Now you can take more responsibilities and more decisions about the country.

- Yes, I could.

- I do it volunteer because I don't have no more kids and my grandkids are in school.

So instead of being watching TV or doing nothing, like me, I used to be just playing Candy Crush.

Now that I do in school, I feel so good, and I know a lot of people and being useful.

(Isabel speaking in Spanish) - Bye.

- Bye.

(car running) (blinker clicking) (door opening) (Isabel speaking in Spanish) - How was school?

- Good.

(Isabel speaking in Spanish) - What you gonna eat?

- I want a- - One sandwich.

Si?

- I want to eat ice cream when I get home.

- My oldest daughter, I live with her, she got two kids.

I said "I'm gonna stay with my grandkids.

Don't look for nobody."

I don't know, it's just, I think it's just a cultural thing that Mexicans, grandmas or moms stay with their grandkids.

Or maybe I'm old school.

(laughs) I think I'm an old school.

- When I get inside I'm gonna put it to 73 degrees.

- I think they see me like a teacher.

They even meet some of my students.

They tell them, "Your grandma is so good, is so nice.

I like to work with her," and la la la.

There's a lot of things that I do, that I do it as an example for them.

I want them to care about their neighbors, friends, the people that they don't even met.

(Isabel speaking in Spanish) I think it's the main part of my life, being with them, and know that they're safe.

(Isabel speaking in Spanish) - No.

(speaking in Spanish) - Our kids are scared, even they're citizens because they born here.

My granddaughter says, "Grandma, what happens if la migra comes here?

What is gonna happen?"

Nothing.

Are they gonna take you?

I don't think so.

Even we look Mexicans?

Even we look Mexicans.

They gonna take you because you're Mexicans.

Yeah, but I'm a citizen.

I know, mama.

But they don't care about them, Grandma.

If they see you're Mexican, they said they're taking you.

See, they're thinking about that.

(child speaking in Spanish) (mixer whirring) - Today I'm gonna make a special cake.

We are gonna have the end of the semester at the Institute, so I'm taking a cake, just to show them that I appreciate what they did.

When I was little, my mom used to make us cake.

And she doesn't have a lot of money, so when she decorates our cakes, she used to do it with the white joke and sugar.

And she put a little bit of Kool-Aid, paint the jokes.

And that's what she decorated the cake.

Rice paper.

This paper, you can eat it.

And I was thinking, when I grow up, oh my god, my baby is gonna be, I'm gonna celebrate her birthday every year, and I'm gonna bake her cake.

And I did all her birthdays, and I did her wedding cake, and now I'm doing for my grandkids, and I've been doing for the citizen, done, cakes.

(subdued music) (car running) I'm driving like a grandma.

It's because I got a cake in the back.

(Isabel laughs) I'm a grandma.

Oh, we're gonna have them, the know your rights today from 1:15 to 2:00.

Oo, I forgot about that.

(Carolina speaking in Spanish) (students speaking in Spanish) (Carolina in Spanish) (Carolina continues speaking in Spanish) - [Carolina] I wish to remain silent.

(Carolina speaking in Spanish) (Carolina continues speaking in Spanish) (student speaking in Spanish) (Carolina speaking in Spanish) (student speaking in Spanish) (Carolina speaking in Spanish) (student speaking in Spanish) (Carolina speaking in Spanish) (Isabel speaking in Spanish) (Carolina speaking in Spanish) - My husband is not a citizen right now.

He's a permanent resident.

He's nervous, especially because he works in the construction, construction work, and they said they're stopping people in the morning, and they're taking lot of people.

(Isabel speaking in Spanish) (student speaking in Spanish) (student continues speaking in Spanish) (Carolina speaking in Spanish) - You know, like two weeks ago, I wasn't feeling like this hate, like this scared.

Now, these days, I see people scared.

I see people complaining about the system.

The system is heavy now.

(Carolina speaking in Spanish) (Carolina continues speaking in Spanish) - People that been brought here when they were like young people, they've been here and they grow up.

They don't qualify for nothing, even though they're paying their taxes for 20 years, or being in here working, making this country rich.

(instructor speaking in Spanish) (instructor continues speaking in Spanish) (instructor continues speaking in Spanish) (class cheers and applauds) - [Isabel] When we passed the citizenship, oh my god, you feel so happy.

You feel like, oh, I did it, I did it.

(class chatting in Spanish) - Isabel, thank you.

(person speaking in Spanish) - [Instructor] No, no.

- We want to do more.

(gentle music) But with this system right now, immigration is so scary for us, the Latinos, even their citizens, you don't feel safe anywhere.

- [News Anchor] During the two months of the Trump administration's deportation campaign, there have been multiple complaints that US Border Patrol agents have trampled on the United States Constitution.

(horns honking) (whistles blaring) - [Observer] This is something.

I never thought I'd see it on this block.

- [Observer] Same here.

Can we get a confirmation of the vehicle?

- They took our landscaper.

Yeah, they took him, they pinned him down.

They took him!

- Did you get his name?

- He said Carlos, but they wouldn't give me his phone.

(footsteps falling) - Hey, no, no, no.

Hey!

(whistles blaring) - [Isabel] It's like a scary movie.

When you see someone is coming to your door and you lock doors, it's the same thing.

- [Homeowner] You do not have a warrant to be on our property.

- [Isabel] Even if they don't got a warrant or nothing.

- Come here!

- No!

(worker speaking in Spanish) - Get on the ground.

- [Isabel] They're not doing it right.

- Hey, hey, hey.

- No!

(people clamoring) (whistles blaring) - Hey!

(people yelling) - Who are you?

(people yelling) You don't live here.

(whistles blaring) (metal clanking) You don't live here.

(people yelling) - [Isabel] Is that democracy?

I'm not sure if we're a democracy.

Now I feel that I'm tutoring lies.

(people yelling) (train chugging) - [Passenger] Put the other way around.

(announcer speech garbled) - Even though now I'm mad and say, "Oh those are lies."

We got rights.

What can we do?

(bell chiming) - Doors closing.

- Go to the protest.

(percussive music) You see that?

That's where we're going.

We have to speak, we have to scream, yell, fight.

(people yelling) (tense music) (protestors chanting) - [Protestor] Immigrants are welcome here!

- I don't expect to be in all these people, a lot of people, a lot.

It's not just the Latino that is scared.

It's not just me.

ICE out now!

ICE out now!

A lot of people think democracy is not working.

Seeing all of them, arm to arm, elbow to elbow, and all the scream and all the yelling, make me think that we are not, we're not alone.

There's a lot of people helping our people.

(percussive music) This is what I meant.

Democracy.

Thank you.

- You're very welcome.

(protestors yelling) (tense music continues) - I'm tired, I'm hungry, but make me feel proud of myself.

I feel so good.

- [Announcer] Harold Washington Library, State and Van Buren is next.

Doors open on the right at Harold Washington Library, State and Van Buren.

This is an orange line train to- - I took the train to come and see a citizenship ceremony, my student Maria.

We're going to the 25th floor.

- The Honorable Michael B. Glade presiding, please be seated and come to order.

- [Judge] All right, good afternoon everyone.

- [Crowd] Good afternoon.

- I'm really thrilled to be here today and celebrate this occasion with all of you, swearing in 100 men and women from 40 different countries as US citizens.

We are a nation of immigrants, and I have the privilege of welcoming you to our American family.

And I'm very excited to see what you all bring to this country.

When your country is called, please stand up and be recognized.

We have one new citizen from Australia.

(crowd applauding) We have one from Belize.

(crowd cheering) - It's like your big graduation, it's like that.

- Two from Lithuania.

(crowd applauding) - [Isabel] You see a lot of people doing the same thing as you do.

- [Judge] We have 21 new citizens from Mexico.

(crowd applauding) - [Isabel] I remember when she just came in and she said, "I'm not gonna do it, it's too hard.

My English is not that good."

She work hard and she made it.

- [Judge] All right, new citizens, please raise your right hands.

Please repeat after me.

I hereby declare- - I hereby declare- - On oath- - On oath- - [Judge] That I absolutely and entirely- - [New Citizens] That I absolutely and entirely- - Renounce and abjure- - Renounce and abjure- - All allegiance and fidelity- - All allegiance.

- [Isabel] I think I feel the same as them, nervous, anxious, emotional, the same as them.

I don't know why.

- So help me, God.

- So help me, God.

- [Judge] Thank you and congratulations.

(crowd applauding and cheering) (gentle music) - I remember you feel so sentimental.

It's really nice to finish your goal.

Every time, they give you a form to register to vote.

Now you can vote and fight for your rights.

You're part of this country, and that's what democracy is.

It's not just who wins or not, but you show your democracy.

One of the students asked me, "What can I say when they ask me, 'Why you wanna become a citizen?'"

I don't know what you wanna answer, but I said, "I remember that I said, 'Because I'm not going anywhere.

This is my country.

I've been here for a long time and I want to vote, I want to have my rights, all my rights.

And I love this country, that's why I wanna stay here.'"

Yay.

(Maria laughs) You made it.

- You were happy.

- I was very happy.

I'm happy.

- Happy.

- [Isabel] Yeah, I even was doing the Oath of Allegiance when they were doing it.

(horns honking) Congratulations.

- Thank you.

Thank you so much.