As a few hundred people gathered in a Chicago park last month for a rally against aggressive and rampant immigration enforcement, a group of teenagers were busy selling maroon tote bags and hoodies emblazoned with “I support undocumented students.”The teens attend Solorio High School and are a part of a club called the DREAM Team, which has sold the hoodie for almost a decade. Typically, the proceeds go toward college scholarships for classmates who are shut out of federal financial aid because they lack legal status in the U.S.But in the face of federal agents teargassing residents and detaining everyday workers, the statement of support has taken on a new defiant meaning. At the same time, members of the club are grappling with the harsh reality that some of their classmates’ families have been torn apart. Solorio students have sold hoodies that say “I support undocumented students” for over a decade, but the fundraising took on new meaning this year.Sarah Karp/WBEZ Now the club is using their funds to help Solorio students with parents who’ve been detained or deported pay rent and other expenses. So far they’ve raised more than $6,000. Eight students are in that situation, though not all of them need financial help, and some money is being saved in case more families need it as the year goes on.Solorio is in a Southwest Side neighborhood of bungalows not far from Midway Airport. Virtually all the students in the school are Latino and more than a third are…
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