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Chicago has a distinct Mexican essence reflected in the foods that most people consider theirs — and this town loves Mexican cuisines.

The ICE raids and Trump’s threats have muted the atmosphere for Mexican Independence Day, sparking thoughts on a recent visit.

From a Rick Bayless speakeasy to classics like Carnitas Uruapan, here’s what I ate dining through Mexican Chicago in the summer of ICE raids.

The Trump administration has spent weeks threatening Chicago, trolling the Midwest colossus of 9 million with incendiary online posts. In the gut, even from far away, it has felt like early June in L.A. all over again.

That’s because Chicago is just like us: big, urban, vibrant,

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