A story of amazing resilience has emerged out of Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood: it’s of one couple, Ofelia Herrera and Rafael Hernandez, who refused to alter their daily routines even when Border Patrol agents swarmed the area on a recent Saturday morning.

As reported by AP News, Herrera, 47, and Hernandez, 44, are in the United States illegally, but they opened their food stand just blocks away from where the agents were operating. They serve delicious Mexican-style corn on the cob and refreshing aguas frescas flavored with cucumber, pineapple, and strawberry. Sirens were blaring through the chaotic day as Chicago police confronted demonstrators who were responding to a Border Patrol call for help.

The couple says working isn’t just about paying the bills; it’s about avoiding depression.. Herrera explained her faith-based approach, saying, “The only thing you can do is have faith in God and not be afraid.” She strongly believes that fear leads to other problems. “Fear gives way to depression and other things,” she noted in an interview. Hernandez agreed, noting, “We know people who have fallen into depression. They don’t leave the house. It’s very sad.”

Illegal immigrants are most often not causing trouble, but contributing to the community

This enforcement blitz has been ongoing since early September, and it’s had a serious impact on the community. Many people without legal status have stayed home for over two months. You’ve even got U.S. citizens of Latino heritage who are too afraid to go outside. Sidewalk traffic on the bustling 26th Street is still lively, but the fear has sparked a grassroots effort to buy out street vendors early just so they can avoid public exposure.

For Herrera and Hernandez, the community fear translates directly to their bottom line. Sales have plummeted about 75% since the Trump administration began “Operation Midway Blitz” in Chicago. Like almost everyone they know, their phones constantly alert them to warnings about where immigration officers are making arrests and where they should stay away.

A Chicago street vendor couple has a defiant response to immigration arrests: Stick to the routinehttps://t.co/Xlnjpbabip

— Antar (@MarkGolden16) November 21, 2025

Despite the administration vowing they are pursuing “the worst of the worst,” Hernandez pointed out that it appears authorities are arresting “everyone.” The data support this: more than 70% of people in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody during the 12-month period through September were not convicted of a crime in the U.S.

The couple’s stand, which is adorned with American flags, is right in the heart of Little Village. They admit they have thought about trying to obtain legal status, but they feel they don’t have a strong case and certainly couldn’t afford an attorney. They have obtained Illinois driver’s licenses and consistently paid taxes. Hernandez summed up their commitment perfectly: “Chicago is marvelous. There are many opportunities for those of us who are immigrants.”

While they want to stay in Chicago, they are prepared to return to Mexico if they are arrested, and they would bring their American citizen children with them. Herrera speaks for many when she says, “We don’t want to go to Mexico but, if we have to, we will. What else is there to do?” Their resilience is truly inspiring.

Police in Zion, Illinois, are looking into a troubling video that appears to show a woman on TikTok live when she hit and killed a man on Monday night. The video has people talking about how dangerous it is to use your phone while driving.

According to TMZ, the crash happened around 5:30 p.m. in the Chicago area. Darren Lucas, 59, who lived in nearby Beach Park, was hit by a car and later died at the hospital from his injuries. The 43-year-old woman who was driving stayed at the scene and talked to police.

Someone recorded the TikTok livestream, and it shows the woman talking to her phone when a loud bang happens. Right after that, she says, “F***, f***, f*** … I just hit somebody.” The video cuts off quickly after that. You can hear a child asking what happened and someone else checking if the driver is alright.

This is what happens when you livestream behind the wheel

The Lake and McHenry County Scanner was the first to report the story. Lt Paul Kehrli from the Zion police said they don’t think drugs or alcohol had anything to do with the crash. The Lake county state’s attorney’s office said they know about the video but can’t talk about it yet because they’re still investigating.

The TikTok user went by the name “Tea_Tyme_3” but has changed her username since then. She made her account private and removed the part of her profile where she said she was from Zion, Illinois. Someone on Reddit who says they watched the livestream when it happened wrote that the driver wasn’t watching the road. Instead, she was “reading comments and grinning at her phone.”

@live.catch.up

WHOA!!! Teatyme went live Monday while driving and HIT a pedestrian?! There are more rumors but for now we are hoping it’s not true & everyone is going to be okay. GET OFF YOUR PHONES WHILE DRIVING PEOPLE!!!! #teatyme #LiveCatchUp #tiktoklive #crash

♬ original sound – Live Catch Ups

That same Reddit user talked about how upset they were after seeing what happened. They wrote, “It feels like I accidentally witnessed the moment someone’s life was taken and now I can’t stop thinking about the victim, and how avoidable it was.”

They said they keep hearing the sound of the crash in their head. This sad event adds to other recent tragedies in Illinois, including a gubernatorial candidate who lost four family members in a helicopter crash.

Research has shown for years that using your phone while driving makes crashes much more likely to happen. This awful situation is just another example of why that’s true, much like other tragic accidents involving young drivers.

Chris King is Lucas’s son-in-law. He told the Lake and McHenry County Scanner that hearing about the video made his family “hold our loss tighter to our hearts.” He also said, “We … will continue to pray for what the driver must be going through. We are trying to find our ways to live, without someone we cherished so much.”