For text to accompany Carlos Javier Ortiz’s images of the federal immigration blitz, Chicago commissioned José Olivarez to write a poem. The son of Mexican immigrants, Olivarez, whose 2023 collection was longlisted for a National Book Award, now lives in New Jersey but was born in Calumet City and spent many years in Chicago. Inspiration for “when we win” struck him while he was back in town, riding the L, listening to an organizer say on a podcast, “We keep each other safe.”

when we win
the masked agents raid our neighborhoods.
what do they cover up? (yesterday) is their promise
& their charge. on 75th and South Shore they ram down
our doors using (yesterday). they toss canisters
of (yesterday) into our children’s lullabies. why?
my people,
we carry (today) & (tomorrow) in twin holsters. we
plant (today) & (tomorrow) in our gardens. every day
there are more sprouts. let it be known: Chicago
will never cower. (yesterday) already died. (yesterday)
is dying. (yesterday) will die again. there is no future
in (yesterday). the agents in our neighborhoods hide
their faces because they are losing. because they lost.
when we win,
there will be whistles from the gulls
circling Lake Michigan. let them sing it:
Chicago is a city of (today) & (tomorrow).
Chicago is the future.