5/17/25

By Lee Goodman

He had a weapon in a holster on his hip. His shirt said, “Security.” “If you like migrants so much, why don't you bring them home?” he asked me, then he went on, “They are all criminals. Ninety percent of them are criminals. MS-13.” Then he shoved me and said, “You can't be here. We can do this the easy way or the hard way.” Maybe he expected me to shove him back, giving him an excuse to get rough. “I believe I have a right to be here,” I calmly replied.

A half-dozen other security guards were standing nearby, observing our interaction. He looked around at them, then he retreated. I spent the rest of the afternoon holding my sign there at Navy Pier – a popular tourist destination on Lake Michigan in Chicago – home to the Shakespeare Theater, Chicago Children's Museum, WBEZ, Chicago Sun-Times, and a Ferris Wheel.