CHICAGO (WGN) – A group of Hispanic residents are fearing for their safety after losing important documents in an apartment fire on the city’s North Side Tuesday afternoon.
A total of 19 people lost their homes after smoke and flames ripped through an apartment located in the 5000 block of North Troy Street in Albany Park at around 4:20 p.m. Tuesday.
Residents told WGN-TV the documents lost in the fire include birth certificates and proof of residency. With federal agents patrolling the area, the now-displaced residents are fearful they’ll be arrested.
“That worries us,” resident Norian Barrientos said. “Everything with this immigration enforcement situation worries me. We can’t even go down to the corner, much less look for papers.”
Mariano Cuevas, along with his wife and two children, are in the same boat. They made it out with nothing but the clothes on their backs and also lost important documents.
“All our clothes, beds, all the cookware are gone,” Cuevas said. “All the children’s documents…it’s like we’re trapped.”
Ald. Rosanna Rodriguez-Sanchez (33rd Ward), was at the scene last night and spoke to the displaced residents, but no word yet on how the victims can recover their personal documents.
Red Cross caseworkers are assisting the residents.
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