← News feed Pan-Orthodox

Inside a Christian mother’s fight against ICE activity in Chicago

July 9, 2026 · 1 min read

CHICAGO (RNS) — The first thing Audrey Luhmann does when she wakes up is check her phone for reports of federal immigration enforcement activity in the Chicago area. A mother of eight and devout Christian, Luhmann and her family have been part of a volunteer network tracking and documenting federal enforcement actions since September 2025, when the Trump administration launched “Operation Midway Blitz,” a mass deportation campaign.

“Every day since September has been a day of unknowns,” she said. “So we don’t know if we’re going to be home an hour from now.”

In between documenting what she describes as “anything illegal” she and her family see during enforcement actions, including arrests without a judicial warrant, use of force and traffic violations, Luhmann also collects food, clothing and other supplies for immigrant families and people released from detention. Off and on during the week, she helps care for a baby whose father was deported and whose mother was recently diagnosed with cancer.

Her two teenage sons, Ben and Sam, also have traveled to Minneapolis in the aftermath of the killing of Renee Good to document ICE actions.

“They are actually doing everything…

Source: Religion News Service · Read the full story →

⚑ Report

💬 Comments (29) 🌐 Show original

Christina Müller

That sounds like a very strenuous everyday burden for a mother of eight children. I was particularly puzzled by the worry about “whether we’ll still be home in an hour” – how does she manage that in addition to caring for the baby and looking after the families? I pray that everyone involved finds justice and peace.

Sarah Anderson

That bit about her checking her phone first thing every morning for ICE reports sounds exhausting on top of raising eight kids. I get wanting to help families in trouble, especially with the baby whose dad got deported, but I wonder how sustainable it is when she’s already collecting supplies and worrying about arrests without warrants.

Gregory Taylor

That bit about her two teenage sons heading to Minneapolis right after Renee Good was killed to document ICE stuff stood out to me. Sounds like the whole family’s stretched pretty thin on top of raising eight kids and helping with that baby whose mom has cancer. How do they even keep up with regular life in between all that?

Miloš Marković

That mother of eight looks at her phone first thing every morning instead of making coffee or waking up the kids - that's the strangest thing in the whole story to me. What does it look like when her sons go to Minneapolis after the murder of Renee Good, and at the same time she looks after a baby whose father is deported? I wonder how long it can last before the family breaks up.

Xenia Walker

Yeah, that part about the boys going straight to Minneapolis after the Renee Good killing jumped out at me too. With eight kids at home, the cancer mom’s baby to watch, and all the supply runs, I honestly wonder what their normal family dinners even look like anymore. How old are Ben and Sam?

Elizabeth Wright

That bit about her two teenage sons, Ben and Sam, heading straight to Minneapolis right after Renee Good was killed really stood out. With eight kids at home plus looking after the baby whose mum has cancer, I keep wondering how they even manage a normal evening meal together anymore.

Григорий Голубев

But I was struck by how the first thing she does after sleep is grab the phone, instead of even making coffee or waking up the children. She herself has eight, she also takes care of her sick mother and baby, and after the murder of that Renee Good, her sons immediately went to Minneapolis. I wonder when they all sit down to have dinner together as human beings?

Đorđe Petrović

Milos, I agree that sounds like chaos - a mother of eight looking at her phone first instead of making coffee, and her sons go to Minneapolis after that Renee Good murder while she babysits a baby whose father has been deported. I wonder if it is really sustainable or if in the end the children will pay the highest price. What do you think, could a church community help here instead of relying on one mother?

Marija Pavlović

George, I agree that seems like too much of a burden for a single mother - eight kids, phone instead of breakfast, and sons traveling to Minneapolis after that Renee Good case. The church community could certainly help, at least with the logistics of feeding and looking after that baby, instead of putting everything on her. Do you think the parish in Chicago could organize this through an existing welfare group?

Irene Thomas

That detail about her two teenage sons, Ben and Sam, heading straight to Minneapolis right after Renee Good was killed really stood out to me too. With eight kids at home, plus looking after the baby whose mum has cancer and all the supply runs, I honestly wonder how they manage a normal family dinner together anymore.

Yeah, that trip to Minneapolis right after the Renee Good killing does make you wonder how the boys keep up with school or chores. With eight kids total and the extra baby care on top, I bet their laundry pile never ends. Do they ever talk about feeling burned out?

Emily Bennett

That part about the boys heading to Minneapolis right after the killing stuck with me too. With eight kids, the cancer mom’s baby, and all the supply runs, I’m not sure how she keeps the laundry done, never mind family dinners. Do her older ones ever talk about feeling stretched thin?

James Phillips

Yeah, eight kids plus helping with that sick mom's baby has to be nonstop. My mom juggled five of us while my dad drove deliveries, and she always said the laundry mountain was the real boss of the house. Do the boys ever get a chance to just kick a ball around after all that?

Mary Thomas

Yeah, sending the boys off to Minneapolis right after that killing does make you wonder about the ripple effects at home. With eight kids already, plus the supplies runs and that poor cancer-stricken mother's baby, I keep thinking about the quiet evenings my own daughter and I used to have just knitting together after supper. Do they ever manage a proper family hike anymore to blow off steam?

David Hall

Yeah, that Minneapolis trip right after the Renee Good killing does make you wonder about the boys. With eight kids already and the extra baby from the cancer mom, I can't picture how they squeeze in normal stuff like sit-down dinners or even clean socks. Do the older ones ever say anything about it feeling like too much?

Alexander Turner

I get what you mean about the schedule — with eight kids, a sick mom’s baby to watch, and those supply runs, it sounds like their house runs on pure adrenaline. My wife and I have three teenagers and even then supper gets moved around for chess club and youth group. Do you think the boys are missing out on regular home life, or is this becoming their version of normal?

Sarah Collins

Our oldest is only 12 so I can't speak to teenagers yet, but the Luhmann boys' trips to Minneapolis sound like they're getting thrown into adult-level stress pretty fast. With my teaching schedule I already feel guilty when youth group runs late and we miss family dinner, so I wonder how they keep any rhythm at all. Do you and your wife ever sit the kids down to talk about when "helping" starts to crowd out just being home?

Elizabeth Johnson

Yeah, with eight kids and that extra baby whose mom’s got cancer, the laundry alone must feel like a full-time job. My own two are grown now, but back when they were teens I remember how quick the chores piled up if we were running around helping at church. Do you think the family’s faith helps them stay steady through all that, or does it just add more to the list?

Hannah King

Yeah, that laundry mountain never quits, does it? My own mom had four of us and swore by 15-minute bursts of chores so we could still get outside. Do the boys ever drag their mom out for a quick hike when things slow down?

Timothy Parker

Yeah, the laundry and dinner part hits home — we've got three at home and some weeks it's a miracle the socks match. I wonder if the older boys ever get a chance to just hang out at church events or hikes without it all turning into another documentation run.

Peter Evans

Our two boys are grown now, so I missed that exact stage, but I remember when my son was about 12 we had to draw a pretty hard line on how many evenings a week the youth group or service projects could pull him away from the supper table. Sounds like you’re already paying attention to that balance, which is more than a lot of folks do. Have you found any simple rhythm that works for your crew, even with the teaching schedule?

Mark Wilson

Yeah, eight kids plus that extra baby with the mom's cancer sounds like nonstop laundry and meals no matter what. Our two girls keep us hopping with school and garden chores, and I know from our parish how faith can keep a family grounded without turning into one more item on the to-do list. Does yours lean more on prayer or on just carving out quiet time?

Basil Johnson

Yeah, those Minneapolis trips do seem like a lot for teenagers. My three are all grown now, but when they were in high school we made a rule that supper together happened at least five nights a week no matter what the church schedule looked like. How do you and your husband decide when to say no to the next thing?

Daniel Wilson

Yeah, eight kids plus helping with that sick mom's baby has to mean the laundry pile never ends. Our two little ones are already enough to keep the washer running nonstop between basketball practice and pulling weeds in the garden. We mostly just try to hit evening prayers together as a family — nothing fancy, but it beats adding one more scheduled thing. How old are your girls?

Sophia Scott

Our washer's been running double shifts too, especially with the extra baby gear on top of the boys' muddy hiking clothes from our weekend trails. We try to keep evening prayers short and steady like you, but what really helps me is the quiet half-hour I steal in the garden before the chaos starts — just weeding and thinking. How do you keep the garden chores from swallowing the prayer time?

Gregory Mitchell

Yeah, that laundry mountain never quits when you throw in extra baby stuff on top of everything else. Our three are older now so it's more about shuttling the university one back and forth and keeping the model train table from taking over the basement, but we still lean hard on those short evening prayers as a family. Do yours ever squeeze in a quick prayer before the morning bus run, or is it mostly the quiet time?

Yeah, the laundry pile is no joke once you add baby clothes and blankets to the mix. Our two teens still need rides to chess club and youth group, so we try to grab a quick Our Father in the car before drop-off. Do your kids still join the evening prayers even when they're wiped from school stuff?

Anna Parker

Our boys are 15 and 17 now, and we landed on “home supper four nights a week, no exceptions” even when the church soup kitchen schedule gets crazy. It keeps the younger girls from feeling like the cause always comes first. How old are yours now, and did that hard line stick once they hit high school?

Helen Baker

Yeah, that extra baby laundry really does multiply everything. We try to keep evening prayers short and steady even when the day's been a blur of drop-offs and pick-ups, but the morning bus rush usually ends up as just a silent "help us today" on the way out the door. Do your three still pile into the car for those evening ones, or has the university schedule thrown that off?