Community organizing

Richmond's City Council unanimously passed a resolution directing Mayor Danny Avula's administration to formalize a "trust policy" limiting how city employees cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Introduced by Councilmember Nicole Jones, the measure sets guidelines for interactions between city staff and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and governs handling of immigration and citizenship information.

More than a dozen residents spoke in favor at Monday's meeting, arguing a written policy would help immigrant families feel safer accessing city services, schools, and police without fear of being reported to ICE. Avula has said Richmond does not enforce federal immigration law or coordinate with ICE, but advocates, including organizer Elena Camacho of New Virginia Majority, pushed for a formal, enforceable policy rather than informal practice.

The council's vote requires the administration to draft the policy by January 1 for review. Camacho said advocates want a role in shaping the guidelines, potentially through a citizen board. Avula praised the resolution and said more details would follow in coming weeks.

The former Charles Warrington Earle School, closed in 2013 under Mayor Rahm Emanuel along with 49 other Chicago schools, has reopened in West Englewood as the Earle School Apartments, a 50-unit affordable housing development. City leaders and developer Gorman & Company cut the ribbon this week on the roughly $35 million project at 6121 S. Hermitage Ave., which includes one- and two-bedroom units for households earning up to 60% of area median income, with nine units set aside at 15% AMI through a nonprofit trust fund program. The Phoenix Foundation will provide on-site supportive services for residents experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

The historic 1897 building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, retains classroom doors and chalkboards as design features. Funding included city tax-increment financing, Chicago Recovery Plan dollars, and ComEd energy incentives. Mayor Brandon Johnson, a former organizer against the 2013 closures, called the project a model for repurposing shuttered schools. Gorman is pursuing similar conversions at other former Chicago schools, including Woods and Bontemps elementary buildings.