Hours after thousands in Chicago took to the streets to join in Mexican Independence Day celebrations, a dead rat and a "threatening," derogatory note referring to undocumented immigrants as "vermin" were left in front of a Chicago alderman's office.

About 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Chicago police officers responding to a call for service in the 5600 block of North Western Ave., discovered a dead rat had been placed at the doorstep of 40th Ward Ald. Andre Vasquez's office. A handwritten note containing "derogatory statements" was also placed on the door, police said.

A message to community members from Vasquez posted to Facebook described the note as "threatening" and said that it, among other things, "referred to undocumented immigrants as vermin."

"In this current political climate, we take

See Full Page